Compromising Positions
by TexasGlamFan
Summary: Two hearts trying to find their way in a complicated world. A Doccubus story. Angst/Romance/Sci-Fi - Rated M for sexually explicit situations in later chapters -
1. Chapter 1

**Note from the Author:** The _italicized words_ in the story _represent unspoken thoughts_. Things just going on inside their heads. I just wanted to make that more clear in case it was a bit confusing. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the ride. I appreciate your reviews.

* * *

**In the Lab**

* * *

Lauren closed her eyes and let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She slowly set the phone down on her desk before the panic truly started to settle in her chest. What had she just gotten herself into? She never mixed business and pleasure with her patients. She didn't want to admit it, but with Bo those lines blurred a little too easily. If she were being honest with herself, she hadn't been able to keep her mind from having very unprofessional thoughts of the Succubus since the day they first met. Since then, she had seen Bo regularly for appointments, and each time, Lauren had the same unexpected, explicit response to the woman. She replayed their most recent conversation over in her mind.

"Hi Lauren, it's Bo. I could really use your help with something. Your medical opinion."

"Sure, of course. I'm listening." Lauren replied, her heart beating just a little faster at the sound of Bo's voice_._

"It's…well, it's kind of personal. I…I don't really know how to start…" Bo's voice lowered.

"I understand. I promise Bo, I adhere to the strictest Doctor/Patient code of confidentiality. As your physician, you have my word," Lauren reassured her. _Bo called to discuss something_ _personal with her? This day just got a little more interesting. Now her heart was racing. _

"Okay, well, see the thing is…" Bo wasn't sure how many details she felt comfortable revealing to the doctor. She decided being vague was a reasonable choice. "I don't think I'm getting enough rest. Well, I mean, I'm getting plenty of sleep, but I wake up needing three pots of coffee and two cold showers. I'm panting like some pathetic shelter dog, and everything seems…I don't know. Vivid? Brighter? It's really starting to screw with my emotions. The dreams are just so…THERE, and I wake up so hungry that I just want to…"

Lauren let out a sigh of relief. "Honestly Bo, that doesn't sound like anything to get too overly concerned about. It's completely normal for irregular sleep patterns to emerge when you are experiencing a high level of stress. Also, it's possible that the new injections I've been treating you with to help curb your hunger could be a contributing factor. I'll have to keep a close eye on that. Your hormones may just need more time to level out. How long have you been experiencing these episodes, these night terrors?"

"Oh, no, they aren't nightmares. They're unbelievably realistic though. Very, uh…intense. Sometimes it takes me a few minutes after I wake up to realize none of it actually happened. My body certainly seems to react as if it did."

Bo could feel her pulse quicken, and her eyes beginning to flash blue just thinking about it. "These episodes started back around the time we first met."

"Hmm, that was quite awhile before I started treating you with the injections.

"It's really starting to mess with my mind. The dreams have been happening more frequently, and lasting longer, " Bo explained.

"How long? How frequent are we talking?" Lauren questioned.

"A few hours at a time…"

"Hours? That does sound exhausting." The concern in Lauren's voice started to rise.

"…every night," Bo admitted.

"Bo, I think I'd better run a few tests just to be on the safe side. A few simple blood tests and a hormone panel should be able to help give us a better idea of what's going on. I'm about to finish up my work here at the lab and-"

"Oh, thank you, doc!" Bo interrupted. "Come by my house after work then. A house call, from the brilliant Dr. Lewis! I will fix us something to eat; you must be starving!" Lauren thought she could almost hear Bo smiling over the phone. Her voice sounded excited, giddy even.

Before she had a chance to gather her thoughts and respond, Bo had already hung up the phone.

Lauren grabbed Bo's medical file and a few supplies, stuffed them in her leather briefcase and locked up the lab. It was just a simple house call, right? She would simply draw some blood, run some basic tests - on an incredibly sleep deprived, insatiably hungry, and hormonal succubus – what could possibly go wrong? She was a consummate professional. _Then why did her heart feel like it was doing cartwheels in her chest?_

As she re-counted the test tubes she had grabbed, Lauren quietly wondered if she would be able to get valid results. Humans had to fast, to skip breakfast, so blood sugar and insulin numbers would give a more accurate physical profile. Should she make Bo forego a few days of feeding, in the name of science, for a reliable measurement? Or, since she was an expert in succubus physiology more in theory than in practice, maybe she was thinking about Bo's problem all wrong. Maybe the blood tests would only catch the problem if Bo were well fed. Lauren pondered her options, running through everything she knew about progesterone levels in adult succubi…sedimentation rates of blood cells…the swell of Bo's breasts above the tight corseted tops she wore…the sensations that sparked down between her legs when Bo flashed her an amused glance from those black-rimmed eyes…

Lauren cleared her throat, which suddenly had gone dry. In the interest of medicine, perhaps it would be best to collect two samples, one before a feeding and one after. Medically necessary, she told herself. She was only thinking of Bo. As a patient in need.

The doctor tried to ignore the need coursing through her own body.

* * *

**The Crack Shack**

* * *

There was a handwritten note taped to the door when Lauren arrived.

_-If you are a certain blonde doctor, you may let yourself in._

_Everyone else better fucking knock!-_

Lauren smiled and let herself in. The room smelled like a mixture of pizza and candle wax.

"Bo? It's Dr. Lewis. I'm here."

"Hey there, doc! Thank you for coming on such short notice. I know you stay very busy. I hope you like pizza? I thought that it was a safe choice since almost everyone eats pizza. I ordered cheese because honestly I didn't know if you were a vegetarian. Maybe you're a carnivore. I don't know. Then I realized, I really don't know much of anything about you, other than you're obviously very intelligent. You are actually kind of mysterious." _And stunningly beautiful, and oh my god, I can't stop thinking about you. _"I'm rambling aren't I? I think I am. I do that sometimes, especially when I'm over tired." Bo offered up the most charming smile, and took a deep breath.

Lauren thought she caught Bo blushing. What was that about? It was cute. Almost as cute as that smile she was trying not to openly stare at too long. Usually she was the one to act like a total nerd and ramble when she was nervous.

"I do like it. Pizza. I like pizza. Thank you." She smiled back.

Lauren was almost never at a loss for words, but the way Bo was devouring her with her eyes was beyond distracting. She couldn't actually be expected to concentrate on forming coherent sentences. _Pizza good. Me like._ _Good grief, Lauren, pull yourself together. _She finally broke eye contact before she got completely lost in that gaze, and looked around for a place to set her briefcase down.

"Oh, wow, I'm sorry, how rude of me. You can put your stuff on the sofa over there." Bo waved her hand in the general direction of the living room.

"Actually, I should take blood samples before you eat anything. Better test results and all that." Lauren almost believed herself.

"Right. Of course." Bo reached over and placed her hand on Lauren's forearm. "Where do you want me?" she winked.

The sudden, unexpected contact sent a heat flash down the blonde's spine. She could feel her face flush. _Words, Lauren. Use your words. Was Bo flirting with her?_ _It's probably just what succubi naturally do without even realizing it. _

Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Lauren made herself busy, quickly gathering the supplies she needed. She was a doctor, here to help a patient. She needed to push any other thoughts, like where she wanted Bo, for instance, out of her mind. Her senses were actively on overdrive around the brunette, making that a difficult task to do. She pulled on a pair of latex gloves, snapping them loudly to break up the awkward silence. Bo's eyes were intensely locked on her, following every move.

"Do you always use protection?" Bo asked, grinning at her double entendre.

Lauren snorted and winced. _Now you're snorting? Pull it together, Lewis_. "Of course. I don't leave home without my latex," she quipped.

Sitting down on the sofa, Lauren wrapped a plastic tourniquet band around Bo's upper arm. She managed to avoid the brunette's intense gaze by busying herself searching for the best vein to draw from. She cleaned Bo's arm with antiseptic, stuck the needle in gently, drew two vials of blood, and sealed them up in a plastic bag.

"There, all done." Lauren applied a piece of gauze and covered it with a band-aid.

"Hey, you're pretty good at that, doc. Such steady hands. I didn't feel a thing."

"You should hear what some of the Ash's bodyguards say about my sticks. Well, really, there's not a lot of talking. They scream 'Oh, God' a lot," Lauren commented without thinking.

Bo's right eyebrow twitched upward. "Screaming? Really. Now I feel cheated."

Now it was Lauren's turn to blush. "I just meant…usually people…I mean fae…complain that I'm too rough."

"Rough is good," Bo teased.

Lauren was certain she was now a dark shade of purple. "Okay, very funny," she said weakly.

Bo shifted so she was facing the doctor directly. "Are you done with me, doctor?" she murmured.

"Oh. Yes. Wait. I mean, no. I need to draw another two vials after you've fed. On chi, not pizza." Lauren gestured vaguely to the kitchen. "But that doesn't need to be tonight. I'll have more than enough to do with the samples I have already."

"So you'll come back tomorrow?" Bo asked hopefully.

Lauren tried not to read excitement in the succubus's eyes. "Sure. Tomorrow, or whenever," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "Just let me know after you've, you know, done your thing, and I can bring my trusty gloves."

Bo's delighted laugh echoed through the apartment. "You must have the weirdest patients in the whole world, Dr. Lauren."

The conversation flowed much easier between them as the evening carried on. Lauren, now feeling more comfortable, took the opportunity to share stories of some of the more unusual fae she had treated in the last week. There was Titus, the shy Trowe who had snuck into the lab one night, and wouldn't come out from underneath the exam table until Lauren promised to play Guns and Roses. And Corianna, the beautiful raven haired Ciguapa, who kept trying to lure her into the medical supply closet. "She said she wanted to show me how her blue skin glowed in the dark, but really she just wanted to try and feel me up under my lab coat."

Lauren enjoyed how easy it was to make Bo laugh. It made her feel at ease.

They ate salad and pizza while Bo talked about her many wacky adventures with Kenzi. It was obvious how much she cared for her young friend. Lauren secretly wished she had someone that close to her. All her endless hours of research in the lab, and treating patients did not leave her much time to make friends. She didn't fully realize how much she needed a friend until now.

"You know, it's getting late," Lauren lamented. "I should be getting home."

"I was really hoping you had more fae medical mystery bedtime stories to tell me." Bo said, trying to convey her disappointment.

"How about a rain check? I promise to tell you more stories next time." Lauren suggested, silently thankful that she had a reason for there to be a next time.

"I look forward to it." Bo flashed a grin that instantly melted Lauren's cool exterior.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Crack Shack**

* * *

Bo felt more relaxed than she had in a very long time. She wasn't sure why she had been so nervous about spending time with Lauren. It had been a lovely evening, full of laughter and interesting conversation. The doctor was smart, fascinating, and enigmatic. And sexy. Oh, so incredibly sexy. She certainly couldn't deny that. Being around her was exhilarating for Bo. The blonde's aura emitted an intoxicating amount of positive sexual energy, but she wasn't completely sure if any of that energy was directed at her. After their evening together, she was more certain than ever that she had to find out.

Then there were the dreams. She hadn't been comfortable giving away many details because the good doctor was always making an appearance in them. The fantasies were never exactly the same, each occurring in various places, and various…positions. The one thing that was consistent was that Lauren was at the center of them all. _The aching, hot center. _Bo laughed at herself. Good god, she had it bad. But did Lauren feel anything for her? That was the question that eluded her, and toyed with her emotions. She felt compelled to find an answer.

Bo slid in between cool sheets, closed her eyes and tried to drift off to sleep. She found herself welcoming the dreams, even though she would wake up hungry and exhausted. Lauren was becoming like a drug, and she desperately needed the next hit.

* * *

**The Lab**

* * *

The next day at work went by quickly. Lauren treated a handful of patients, and tried to catch up on the enormous amount of paperwork piling up on her desk. She had been integral in the design and creation of a central database to store fae medical files and important research. As technologically advanced as the fae were, they still wanted to keep so many physical records, so there was never an end to the paperwork to fill out. It's how things had always been done. The fae were steeped in their traditions. It was something that she accepted and disdained equally.

The Ash suggested that her mind was much too valuable to be wasted on such trivial matters, so he had recently given her two assistants to help keep things running smoothly in the lab. She was hesitant about them at first. Being a perfectionist, she had always preferred to work alone, but they were proving themselves to be intelligent and quick learners. She was able to delegate many tasks to them now, freeing her to focus on more important things.

No matter how busy she stayed, Bo was never far from her thoughts. Lauren had not ever been one to daydream. Her mind was much too logical to take part in flights of fancy, but she couldn't seem to help herself when it came to Bo. The brunette had unknowingly awakened desires inside of her. She could feel the unexpected twinge of hope beat within, stirring intense feelings she wasn't quite ready to come to terms with yet.

Lauren worked right through lunch, focusing her energies on running extensive tests on Bo's blood samples, documenting all the results carefully. She prided herself on being accurate and meticulous. No matter how uncertain life could get, she knew she always had her science to back up against. Science was the one thing she could count on to be there. It was consistent and resolute.

She was hoping to find something, a kind of clue, to help her figure out what was going on with Bo, but all the tests came back normal. Bo appeared to be a completely healthy physical specimen.

Across the room, one of the assistants knocked over a glass flask, sending it crashing to the tile floor. The noise startled Lauren so much she dropped the glass slide, and accidentally pricked her finger with one of the syringes she had been holding. "Damn it!" It was a mistake she hadn't made since med school. Lauren yanked off her gloves and washed her hands immediately, trying to flush the point of contact with the needle.

Tired and frustrated, she decided to go home and start new tests in the morning.

* * *

**Lauren's Apartment**

* * *

At home, Lauren made herself a sandwich, and spent the evening reading up on Succubi physiology while running on her treadmill. She enjoyed running, as it often helped her relieve the stress of the day and find her center. She was able relax her mind after a long day by focusing on her breathing patterns. It was a small reprieve from her life working for the fae, a reminder that she was alive and human.

A human who could not stop thinking about a certain succubus.

As a doctor, Lauren was self aware of her own physical stamina. Tonight her senses felt unusually heightened, and she was bursting with energy from every pore. She liked the way she could feel her pulse quickening, and her heart pounding in her chest as she found her rhythmic stride. She pushed herself harder, running faster towards a feeling of euphoria she hadn't felt before.

She nearly fell off the treadmill when she heard a loud knock at her front door.

Lauren rarely had any visitors.

There was another knock, this time more insistent.

She cracked open the door, and Bo, who had apparently been leaning against it, fell inside and landed right into her arms.

"Bo?" _This was unexpected. Not complaining. _

"Oh good, you're here. I really needed to see you." Bo straightened herself up.

"One of your assistants told me you had gone home. I hope it was okay that I-"

Bo stopped abruptly in mid sentence, suddenly acutely aware of how incredible the doctor looked. The blonde's aura was shining so bright. She couldn't help but openly stare at Lauren standing there in her black spandex shorts and light blue tank top, deliciously tight in all the right places. _Oh, hot damn._ Her eyes quickly flashed from brown to blue, and back again. She bit her bottom lip as her eyes traced the bead of sweat that enticingly trailed down Lauren's chest.

She had never seen Lauren without her work clothes on. Well, of course she had visualized it in her mind on innumerable occasions, but the exquisite reality standing before her now was proving to be even better. The outfit left little to the imagination, and Bo's imagination was running buck wild. Who could blame her? She was a Succubus after all. _Those shoulders. Those arms. That stomach. Oh dear god, I'm in serious trouble here. What the hell…did I just moan out loud?_ She closed her eyes tightly, and tried to concentrate on her breathing. Concentrate on anything other than the vision of beauty standing before her.

"Bo? You look a little flushed. Are you feeling okay?" Lauren asked, still breathing hard from her workout.

Bo finally snapped her gaping mouth shut, and tried to gain control of the distracting thoughts of mentally undressing the doctor. She cleared her throat. "I think I…I interrupted something, didn't I? I'm so sorry." _Not sorry. _She inhaled deeply.

Lauren smiled sweetly as she slowly ran her fingers through her hair. "No, no it's okay. I was actually just thinking about you."

Bo felt what little resolve she had completely dissolve with that smile until she couldn't restrain herself any longer. She had always been the impulsive type. It was a weakness she had been trying to work on, but in that moment she desperately needed to touch Lauren. She didn't know if she was being brave or reckless when she inched a step closer, grabbed the doctor around the waist, and pulled her in tightly. She was tempted to use her power to send a heated pulse through the blonde's body, but instead she smoothed some stray, tousled hairs, and pushed them behind her ear. "I..I'm sorry Lauren, I can't help myself. I just have to..."

Bo placed a soft, urgent kiss on Lauren's lips. Their warm breath intermingling; Their mouths hungrily searching for answers to questions still unspoken. Bo's heart flared when Lauren didn't pull away. Bo meant for the kiss to be quick, but now that she'd given in to her desire, she wasn't sure she could stop.

A heavy knock at the front door interrupted them both out of their absorption in the moment. Lauren stiffened and quickly pulled away. Bo wasn't sure if the response was from the knock startling her, or from the kiss she had just stolen. The warmth of Lauren's body against her own was immediately missed. Her mind was racing; she couldn't interpret Lauren's expression before she looked down at the floor, and shuffled over to answer the door. Bo felt like her heart was going to burst and scatter in pieces all over the doctor's floor, but it was a risk she was willing to take if Lauren would allow her to kiss her again.

Lauren opened the door. A man the size of the Hulk stood on the other side.

"Dr. Lewis, the Ash requires your assistance."

"Sure, of course. John, please let him know I'm on my way." Lauren replied, still a little short of breath. She shut the door and turned her attention back to Bo.

"Lauren, I-" Bo began.

Lauren held her hand up. "Bo, whatever just happened – it can't happen again. I work for the Ash, and you being here without him knowing, well it puts me in a dangerous position. I'm sure you understand. You must go now, but I will call you."

"I'm so sorry." Bo searched Lauren's eyes for clues of what she was feeling.

"Please Bo, just go." Lauren just stared at the floor as Bo left.

* * *

**Light Fae Compound**

* * *

"Do you know why I called you here tonight?" The Ash's naturally low voice echoed in the chambers.

"Actually no, but it must be important at this hour." Lauren replied.

"You have been helping the Succubus."

Lauren wasn't sure how to respond, so she just stood there.

"This is not a question. I assume you have been doing it for the good of the Light Fae, to garner her trust. We can use someone as powerful as her on our side. I need you to continue this relationship. You are going ask the Succubus to help you on an assignment. I assume this will not be a problem."

"I'm not sure this is a good idea, sir. It's—it's become kind of complicated." Lauren started sweating, hoping the Ash wouldn't ask too many questions.

"You are a smart woman, Dr. Lewis. I trust you will figure it out, un-complicate it. The last thing we need is for the Dark Fae to persuade her to work with them."

"Is that all, sir?" Lauren felt herself starting to get agitated at where the conversation was headed.

"One more thing. I want you to collect blood samples from the Succubus. Her blood has unequalled powers. We need to study it. We can use these powers, but first you need her to trust you. I will send you further instructions soon. You are excused."

Lauren couldn't get out of there fast enough. She felt a rush of adrenaline surge through her body, making her want to bolt and run to nowhere in particular. The Ash was asking her to use someone she cared about. Someone she thought she even had feelings for. The scenario she had been fearful of was becoming a reality, and she felt powerless to stop it.

Lauren ran as fast as her legs would take her. The further she ran, the stronger she felt.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Note from Author: Thank you for all the reviews! I'm happy you are enjoying it so far.**_

* * *

It seemed impossible; Lauren had been running for 20 minutes, and yet she did not even feel winded. Confused, she reached down to the underside of her wrist and checked her pulse. 58 beats per minute. That couldn't be right; that was closer to her normal resting heart rate. She had always been athletic, but she knew this was unusual even for her.

Even more curious was that she now found herself standing outside of Bo's house. She remembered a surprisingly strong pull to see Bo when she left her meeting with the Ash, but she didn't remember consciously making a decision to go there.

She stood there a moment in quiet disbelief. _What am I doing?_ Lauren shook her head because this was out of character for her. She barely even knew the woman. How did the brunette already have such a magnetic hold on her? She was pretty pissed with herself for allowing an attraction to cloud her judgment. She had experienced attraction before, but this was on another level entirely.

She felt furious with The Ash for putting her in this position and complicating things even further. His words still rang in her ears – "You're a smart woman, Dr. Lewis: un-complicate things." This was not the first time he had asked her to put herself in a compromising position to help the Fae. The first time involved her girlfriend Nadia. The Ash wanted Lauren to study her and find out the reason she was the only human that had contracted an exclusively Fae disease. She pushed her personal feelings aside, and devoted her service to the Fae in hopes that she could be the one to find the cure for Nadia.

She did find a cure for the Fae who were dying from the disease, but in the end she could not save Nadia in time. She had deteriorated too quickly, and the many invasive tests she was subjected to only hastened the end. A part of her had died that day along with Nadia, and she had no desire to relive the still painful memories.

Then there was Bo, an unexpected new twist in her life.

A twinge of guilt enveloped her heart.

Logically she knew she should just shut off all off her emotions towards the succubus before things got any more complicated. She should just do her job and go about her business as usual, but not everything was that black and white. Not everything could be contained in a neat, tidy little box. She knew she couldn't shove these feelings into the deepest corners of her mind and ignore them. Something had been awakened inside her, something she hadn't felt since Nadia, and it would not be ignored. There was no going back now.

Now that she was here, what could she possibly say to Bo? How would she explain showing up at her house in the middle of the night? She couldn't even really explain that one to herself.

She paced around aimlessly outside Bo's house as she considered the few facts she had and tried to analyze the situation. Something to help explain her unusual, even uncharacteristic behaviors.

Symptoms: significant increase of adrenaline. Remarkable bursts of energy and stamina. Strong, compelling urges. _Don't forget, horny as fuck. _

When had she first noticed these physical anomalies? She estimated it was sometime earlier that afternoon. Could she trace it back to the kiss? Plausible. It was her first experience with a Succubus kiss, after all. Maybe what she was feeling was just the after effects. Satisfied with that answer, she turned around to leave. Maybe things would level off after a decent night's sleep. She would talk to Bo tomorrow when she could think more clearly.

"Lauren?"

Lauren swallowed hard, knowing she had just been busted. She could feel Bo's eyes on her back. She turned around to face her, staring at the ground and shoving her hands in her leather jacket pockets.

"Couldn't sleep?" Bo asked earnestly. Her hushed tone came out as barely more than a whisper.

"Not even a little," Lauren answered, forcing herself to look at Bo for the first time.

"Me either. I had another one of those dreams, and I couldn't go back to sleep. I was getting ready to take a walk and clear my head when I thought I sensed you nearby. Isn't that weird? But look, here you are." Bo started walking slowly toward the blonde, stopping within inches.

"Here I am." Lauren stared, silently taking in every inch of her face. Her eyes widened as Bo reached out and tenderly cupped her cheek in her hand. The brunette's eyes were filled with possibility.

"I – I should probably try to explain why I…" Lauren stammered in a weak attempt to distract Bo, or distract herself—she wasn't quite sure which.

"Stop thinking so much, doctor."

"Bo, we really need to talk…"

Bo held her hand up in protest. "Don't pretend you don't know what's happening here. Don't pretend you don't want this," Bo breathed and pressed her body fully against Lauren, tracing her thumb slowly along her bottom lip. This sent a shiver through the blonde. "I can feel you, you know? Your energy. It's intense and radiates off of you in waves. You can't fool me." Bo's eyes flashed an intense blue.

Lauren studied her blue eyes, and almost as if really seeing them for the first time, let out an involuntary moan. "I-I…c-can't. Bo, it's complicated," she pleaded with the brunette, taking one step back. It was the exact opposite of what she really wanted to do. She wanted to give in to her desire and continue the kiss from earlier that had been interrupted. She wanted it so badly, in fact, that her body ached.

Bo sensed the doctor struggling internally and stepped back into her personal space, closing the gap between them again. "This doesn't feel that complicated. Attraction. Desire. Want. Need. Pretty simple. Pretty straightforward," Bo whispered in the doctor's ear, being sure to accentuate each word for greater effect. She gently pushed aside blonde hair and began to leave a trail of tender kisses up her neck to her jawline.

She knew she should put a stop to it, but Lauren also knew everything in her wanted this. Needed this. Bo's lips on her skin had her body on fire, and she felt like the only thing that would quench the flames was to surrender to Bo completely. Lauren could have sworn time had stood still just before she leaned in and finally took Bo's mouth in a deep, slow kiss. A brief moment passed before her brain caught up with her mouth, but once it did, it didn't take long before she was completely lost in the sensations. She parted her lips to allow Bo's tongue entrance as the kiss became more heated and urgent.

Lauren wasn't sure how long they stood there, lost in the pleasure of each other. She was feeling lightheaded. Her head was beginning to spin. Bo smiled and grabbed Lauren's hands in her own, caressing them gently, then bringing each finger up to her mouth for a kiss. Lauren winced when Bo rubbed and kissed the finger she had pricked earlier._ Oh god-with the needle-oh what did I do-Bo's blood…I don't feel so-_

She placed her hands on Bo's hips to steady herself of the feeling that her knees might buckle underneath her at any moment. No, seriously, she was beginning to feel like she was going to pass out. Her vision began to slowly darken until she couldn't see clearly.

"Bo…"

"Mmm hmm?" Bo answered with heavy lidded eyes.

Lauren suddenly dropped, and hit the ground hard.

"Lauren!" Bo called out, her voice echoing out in the darkness. She dropped to her knees beside the blonde. "Lauren, can you hear me?" She knew her voice sounded panicked. The voice coming out of her mouth didn't even sound like her own. _Oh god, no, what have I done? _

Bo checked Lauren's neck for a pulse. She wasn't a doctor, but she could tell that Lauren had a shallow heartbeat. _Okay_, _breathe. Calm down. Pull yourself together so you can help her._

The shrill sound of a phone ringing momentarily pulled Bo out of her panic. It was coming from somewhere in Lauren's jacket. She hurriedly felt her way around in the pockets, finally producing a cell phone. The screen displayed a name: "The Ash."

She quickly answered the phone and began to blurt out the situation before even giving The Ash a chance to speak. "This is Bo Dennis. I think Lauren is in trouble. She has just passed out in front of my house, and shit, I'm not doctor. I don't know what's wrong with her! Please send help."


	4. Chapter 4

**Note from the Author:** Thanks so much for all your feedback! You guys are great. My favorite thing to write is Lauren/Bo moments together, but this is my first try at an actual plot. I guess we'll see how it goes. Don't worry though, I plan to bring on some heat as soon as possible.

* * *

**Light Fae Medical Lab**

* * *

The room was cold and sterile, but the smells surrounding her were familiar. Lauren could hear the sound of a heart monitor steadily beeping nearby. There was someone speaking, but the voice sounded distant and muffled, not clear enough to interpret any of the words. She was disoriented. Her heartbeat pounded loudly in her ears as unfamiliar hands grabbed at her arms and chest. She felt something cold and wet, followed by a sharp stick in her right arm. Her jaw clinched as a sudden bright light flashed in her blurry eyes, making them sting and water.

Realizing what was happening, Lauren shot straight up on the gurney, clutching at her chest and startling everyone around her. She yanked off the heart monitor and assorted IVs all in one swift movement.

"Bo! Where's Bo?" she yelled out, trying to stand up, yet still unable to focus clearly on any faces. She knew she was at the medical lab, but for the second time in 24 hours she couldn't remember how she had gotten there. It was unsettling to her, not being in full control. "I need to talk to Bo Dennis. Where is she?" she insisted.

"Dr. Lewis, what you need to do is lay back down. You took quite a fall tonight. We are just monitoring your vitals, so relax." Two strong arms tried to push her back down on the gurney. Lauren recognized the voice as her assistant, Jamie. He placed a cold stethoscope against her chest, which she immediately swatted away, shooting him a very serious warning glare.

"Back off, damn it - I feel fine! Just help me get up," she huffed between tightly clenched teeth. "Please?" she finally added, clearly frustrated but trying to soften her tone a little. She didn't want to make a scene.

Jamie started to object, but seeing the determined look on her face, he finally relented and helped her get up on her feet.

"What do you want me to tell The Ash?" he asked.

_How about fuck right off, for starters? _That was the first thing that came to her mind, but instead she answered, "Don't worry about it, Jamie; I'll talk to him myself. If he comes looking for me, tell him I went home and I'll call him later."

Still shaken, but feeling stronger now that she was upright, she tried to straighten herself up a little. She felt like a hot mess. Her clothes and hair were completely disheveled, but that was the farthest concern from her mind right now. "My jacket?"

Jamie pointed her to the jacket, and she quickly went rummaging through the pockets looking for her cell phone.

"Ms. Dennis is waiting for you in the other room. She didn't want to leave your side, but I asked her to wait outside. I believe she may have your phone. And Dr. Lewis?" he called out after her as she was hurrying toward the exit.

"Yeah?" she yelled back over her shoulder.

"Take it easy, okay?"

Lauren appreciated the genuine concern in his voice. She called out, "Thanks. I am going to take the day off - to rest." She nodded, but she knew it was probably a lie.

Lauren was beyond exhausted and too tired to think clearly, but she knew she had to make a quick stop by her office before she left. It was eerily quiet as she grabbed a few supplies, gathering the vials of Bo's blood she had locked up in her desk. She didn't feel it was safe to keep them there anymore, now knowing The Ash had intentions to use the blood and its power for who knows what purpose. Power? Control? War? After having her own personal experience with the serious side effects of Bo's blood, she knew she needed to take more careful precautions.

She hurriedly shoved the vials into her pockets, trying to be as quiet and discreet as possible. She wanted to get out of there unseen, and just go home, hopefully with Bo. She felt silly for sneaking around in her own office, but she knew The Ash had eyes everywhere, and the last thing she wanted to do was to draw any further attention to herself. She was a human, and she knew many of the Fae would jump at the chance to bring her down for any reason.

Lauren tried to rationalize her actions, but she didn't fully understand her need to protect the succubus, even at the risk of her own personal safety. Perhaps it was because Bo had come to her for help, and trusted her implicitly, or that she was simply tired of being used again and again by the Fae. Or maybe it was because she was falling in love with Bo. That thought scared her the most because that was a risk of her heart.

Lauren could feel her body protesting as she briskly walked the halls; she desperately needed sleep, but she felt an immediate adrenaline rush when she finally found Bo. Her heartbeat sped up at just the sight of her. It felt like it had been days since she had seen her, though in reality it was probably only a matter of hours. She couldn't believe how much she already missed her, how much she longed to be with her.

The brunette was pacing back and forth, noticeably agitated. Lauren's breath caught in her throat, and the color drained from her face when she got close enough to see Bo's expression. She had obviously been crying for some time, and now, upon seeing Lauren, was trying desperately to keep fresh tears at bay. Worry and concern etched her delicate features, but there was also was a hint of something else. Lauren took a deep breath, trying to calm her own nerves.

"Oh, thank heavens, Lauren. They made me leave, and none of these assholes around here would give me an update. I've been worrying myself sick."

"It's okay…I'm okay. I discharged myself, but listen - Bo, we really need to talk."

The tension rolled off Bo as her shoulders slumped, and she hung her head in quiet resignation. Visibly upset but trying to hold it together, her tight and shaky voice betrayed her. "I know. I'm so, so sorry. This was all my fault. When you were lying there, passed out on the ground, I was so worried, Lauren. For a minute, I was afraid I killed you. I promise it won't happen again; I've done enough damage. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything else happened to you." She took in a deep breath as if she had run out of air, her hand trembling as she halfheartedly tried to wipe away the tears streaking down her cheeks with the back of her hand. She paused for moment, and then, in a whisper she said, "I seem to ruin everything I touch. I'll understand if you never want to speak to me again."

Lauren's heart sank as she listened to Bo, evidently blaming herself for everything. It felt as if she had been rehearsing what to say for hours, and it broke her heart. She looked so resigned and vulnerable. It was an expression that Lauren was not used to seeing on the typically confident succubus.

She reached out and caressed Bo's tear-stained cheek, gently pulling her chin up until their eyes finally met. "Listen, Bo, I knew very well what I was getting myself into. There's more going on here than you realize, but I'm going to need more than 30 seconds to explain. But we can't talk here." Lauren looked over her shoulder as she heard footsteps coming down the hallway behind them. "We need to get out of here okay? Take me home?"

Bo swallowed hard before she responded, "Okay, but are you sure that's a good idea after what happened? After what I did to you?" Her expression was flushed with tension, her eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm not leaving here without you," Lauren warned. She grabbed Bo's hand, intertwining their fingers. The simple touch of Bo's skin sent a warm, tingling sensation coursing through her body. They quietly left the building together, all too aware of the unasked questions between them. The doctor didn't have all the answers yet, but she was certain of one thing. She wasn't about to let Bo get away that easily.


	5. Chapter 5

Note from the Author: Thanks for all the follows and feedback! I will try not to disappoint. This chapter is a little longer. ;)

* * *

**The Drive Home**

* * *

The heaviness eased off Lauren's shoulders as they finally drove away from the Light Fae compound. The last 24 hours were a crazy blur. So much had happened in such a short period of time; she was still trying to wrap her mind around it. She took a deep breath and shoved her hands into her pockets, her fingers gliding over the smooth glass vials for quite possibly the hundredth time, making sure they were still secure.

Lauren was aware that she had always been a quiet threat to the Fae, with her expansive knowledge and unrestricted access to their facilities. As a scientist, she understood things about the Fae, possibly better than they understood themselves, and that made her dangerous. She wouldn't be surprised if The Ash had her home wire tapped and full of hidden cameras. It only made sense that they had her under constant surveillance.

If only he knew what really happened in Africa with Nadia.

"Bo, on second thought, I think we should go to your place. Would that be okay with you?" _Less chance of surveillance there._

"Wow, Lauren, you're taking all of this so much better than I expected. I thought for sure you'd be royally pissed at me. I was convinced I'd ruined any chance of something between us. I kissed you half to death, and you still want to go back to my place? That's either brave or wildly insane."

Feeling the first sense of relief in hours, she reflected, "I mean, the kiss was deliciously hot, if I do say so myself, but hello… are you sure you're thinking clearly? Maybe you bumped your head even harder than you thought when you passed out." Bo paused just before adding, "I guess I really know how to sweep a girl off her feet. Get it? Off your feet…"

No response.

"Oh geez, I'm sorry. It's probably way too soon to joke about that, huh?"

Bo looked over at Lauren who was now out cold, peacefully asleep in the passenger seat.

"You certainly are a mystery to me, Dr. Lewis, that's for damn sure."

* * *

**The Crack Shack**

* * *

2 hours and 14 minutes. That's how long Bo had been tossing and turning since waking up from another front row seat at the Dr. Hotpants Sexytime Dream Festival 3D Experience. 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 34 seconds to be exact. After waking up sweaty and deliriously aroused, she had checked the clock on her nightstand religiously, watching as each number ticked by with relentless certainty. If only the rest of the events in her life could be that predictable. She lay there silently hoping she hadn't ruined any chance she may have had with Lauren, but she had to prepare her heart for the worst.

It seemed like such a crazy thought, but sometimes when Bo thought about Lauren, she simply forgot that she was human. She had certain characteristics that would be the envy of most Fae, plenty of powers all her own. An exquisite mind. A kind heart. Bravery. Loyalty. _Oh, and add gorgeous hair and killer eyes to the list. _It's no wonder she was falling for her. She had heard about that fluttery, lovesick feeling from books and movies, but it was a brand new experience for her. Whenever she thought about the doctor, it felt like butterflies were performing Cirque Du Soliel inside her stomach.

With all the heightened emotions she had experienced in the past few days with Lauren, it only made sense that the dreams would be more intense, too. She honestly wasn't sure how much more she could handle. The dreams were nice, even if tiring, but she desperately wanted the real thing now that she had experienced a taste.

It certainly did not help the situation knowing that the blonde was so close, asleep on the couch just downstairs. She dared not disturb her, though, not after what had happened. How would she trust herself not to hurt Lauren again? The last thing she wanted to do was put the blonde in any kind of danger. Plus, she looked so damn exhausted tonight, Bo reasoned. No, she would just have to suck it up and will herself not to disturb the star of her dreams. She went back to the mind-numbing clock watching to distract her from what her heart desired most.

The phone on the nightstand vibrated at 6:07 a.m. Knowing none of her friends would dare call at that ungodly hour, she quickly figured out it was Lauren's cell phone. The Ash again._ Geesh, what is it with that guy? _She let it go straight to voicemail. _Do not disturb a woman getting her beauty rest, ashhole! _

For the next few hours, Bo played her new game, Watch the Clock Without Managing to Fall Asleep At All. Naturally, just as she was nodding off around 11:45, Kenzi came bursting into the room and bounced on the bed.

"Bo bo, there's a long legged creature sleeping downstairs on our couch. She looks like Sleeping Beauty. What do you know about this? I want all the deets, and you better not leave any of the good stuff out!"

"Ugh, Kenzi. How can you be so damn perky this early in the morning?" Bo pulled a pillow over her head.

"Uh, it's almost noon, honey bunches of Bo. Time to smack this day on the ass, and tell it who's boss."

"Crap!" Bo sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes.

Kenzi snickered, "Well, okay, that's a start."

"Kenz, you said Lauren was still downstairs?"

"If by Lauren, you mean a golden haired, life-sized Malibu Barbie, then I think, yes. Is that a bad thing? Just so we're on the same page here."

"That's Lauren, the doctor friend I told you about," Bo explained.

"Ohhh right, doctor 'friend' uh huh. Gotcha." Kenzi grinned and winked like she was in on some kind of secret.

"I need to go wake her up. I think she was supposed to be at work hours ago. She got a phone message from her boss."

Kenzi's eyes widened, as she whispered, "Evil temptress! Are you spying on Dr. Sleepy's phone messages?" She feigned disbelief. "More importantly, did you find out anything good?"

"No, Kenz, it's nothing like that. These past few days have been kind of crazy, but I promise to fill you in soon. I can't wait to tell you all about Lauren. She's..."

"She's starving," Lauren offered from the doorway, where she suddenly stood, very much awake. _And very much rumpled with sexy bedhead._

"Malibu Dr. Barbie; she talks and eats! No assembly required," Kenzi quipped.

Bo elbowed Kenzi hard.

"Guess that's my cue – catch you on the flip side, Sunshine." Kenzi winked at the doctor on the way out the door.

"Good morning" Bo smiled, trying not to openly stare too long at the blonde. Nobody had a right to look that good when they first woke up. "I hope you slept okay? You were so exhausted last night."

"Sorry, that must have ranked as your most disappointing sleepover ever, but I'm feeling much better now, thanks." Lauren smiled back.

"At least one of us got some sleep. Oh, hey, your phone buzzed early this morning. I didn't have the heart to wake you."

Lauren walked over and sat on the bed next to Bo. One voicemail message. She sighed as she punched in her pin code, knowing it was a message from work.

"_Dr. Lewis, I trust this message finds you well. It's time for you to prepare for the assignment we discussed in our last meeting. I will send a car to your house tomorrow morning. In the glove compartment you will find an envelope with money and further instructions. Bring the succubus with you, as she will be essential to the success of this assignment. You have always been an asset to the Light Fae, Dr. Lewis, but to ensure your full cooperation, you should know, we will be watching very closely."_

All the color drained from Lauren's face as she hung up the phone. _Shit just got uncomfortably real. _The Ash didn't threaten her directly, but he might as well have. She was all too familiar with what happened when his orders were disobeyed. It was the reason she had never shared _all_ of the lab results from the Congo outbreak.

"What's wrong? You suddenly look so pale. Did the Flux Capacitor at the lab run out of plutonium, Doc? How will we ever generate the 1.21 gigawatts of power we need to get back to the future?" Bo quickly realized her attempt to lighten the mood was failing miserably.

She tried a different approach. "Are they mad that you didn't show up for work this morning? You can blame that on me, too. I'd be more than happy to call The Ash myself and explain."

Lauren took a deep breath. "Bo, it's time for that talk." The tension in the room was palpable.

"I don't think I like the sound of this." Bo sat up a little straighter and braced herself.

"What do you know about my work for The Ash?" Lauren began.

"Well, let's see – I know you're a brilliant doctor and a kick ass scientist."

"The truth is, Bo, I don't just work for The Ash. It's complicated, but there was an arrangement made - my servitude to the Light Fae, and in return, I was given everything I could possibly need as a doctor and scientist."

"I don't understand. Why would you agree to that?"

"Five years ago, I was working in the Congo. I was there with my girlfriend, Nadia, when she suddenly became very ill. We found out an entire village nearby had the same illness, and they were dying by the dozens. It was terrifying. I came to learn through my research of the disease, that the villagers were all Fae. That's how I first came to learn about them. As you know, the Fae don't want humans to know about their existence, so my life was in immediate danger. They were planning to kill me, but at the last minute I was able to negotiate with The Ash. My life, in exchange for helping them find a cure, and hopefully a cure for Nadia as well."

Bo sat there, stunned. She had no idea what to say, as she tried to imagine what Lauren had been through.

Lauren's eyes began to fill with tears. "I couldn't save Nadia in time, but I've been working for The Fae ever since." She felt a small sense of relief finally getting the words out; she had never really been able to talk to anyone about it before.

"Oh, Lauren, I'm so sorry."

"Now fast forward to the present, the part where you come in – I don't know if he's known all along, but The Ash found out that I've been helping you. He assumed I befriended you to try and persuade you to join the Light Fae. It's not true, of course, but I didn't deny it either."

"Ha! In his wildest dreams would I ever join a side," Bo remarked bitterly.

"Unfortunately, there's more," Lauren explained, just wanting for everything to finally be out in the open.

"I was afraid you were going to say that."

"This is probably going to be difficult for you to hear." Lauren closed her eyes, feeling a little apprehensive.

"Just rip the band-aid off, doctor."

Lauren looked down at the floor. "He wants me to use our friendship, Bo. He ordered me to study you; he said that he wants to use your blood - for what purpose, I don't know. He believes it's powerful…and Bo, he's right. Your blood is powerful. In fact, I'm now absolutely certain of it."

This wasn't the first time Bo felt violated by the Fae, yet they had the nerve to wonder why she wouldn't pick a side? They simply couldn't be trusted, for starters. And now, after hearing Lauren explain all of this, she felt blinded by anger.

"This is unreal. I can't believe this bullshit! How could they do this to you after everything you've done for them – and to me - I'm not some sort of fucking lab rat to be poked and prodded whenever someone feels like it." Bo started pacing around the bedroom. She had the sudden urge to punch a wall or something, but thought better of it.

"Bo, I promise you, I would not betray your trust. It means too much to me—" She paused a moment. "—you mean too much to me." Her voice quivered a little. "When I came to your house last night, I wanted to tell you everything, but then there was that kiss, and…"

"You've put your life at great risk by telling me any of this. Thank you. Did you find something in the samples you took from me? Is that why you're convinced The Ash is right?" Bo questioned.

"No, not exactly. All the tests I've performed so far have come up completely within normal margins. I didn't find anything significant. But, and this is a big but, I accidentally pricked my finger with the syringe of your blood. Hours later I started experiencing tremendous side effects. Something happened when your blood mixed with mine."

"Let me guess. It wasn't a craving for dark chocolate and 80's metal hair bands, was it?" Bo retorted.

Lauren grinned. "Sadly, no. I experienced a lot of adrenaline, significant bursts of energy, and a compelling urge to be near you. Plus my, uh, sexual urges were also heightened."

Bo's eyes widened. "Holy crap, all that from a little needle poke?"

"I also believe I passed out because my body was going through withdrawal as my endocrine system started filtering your blood out of my system."

"Okay, first good news of the day: I didn't cause you to pass out from a succubus whammy. Bad news: I was the cause because, dude, my blood was in you! But hold on, back up a second - when we kissed, were you under some kind of allure of my blood at the time?" Bo questioned, suddenly sounding vulnerable.

Lauren nodded. "Actually, both times we kissed, I had your blood in my system."

"So when your aura was lit up like the Aurora Borealis, it was just the effects of my blood? It may not have actually been YOU responding to ME at all?" Bo felt like the rug had just been pulled out from under her.

Lauren looked down at her legs dangling off the side of the bed. "I suppose that's a fair statement, but Bo…" When she looked back up, the brunette was standing directly in front of her, dark eyes brimming with a confusing mixture of emotions.

_Deep breath_. "I'm afraid there's still more."

Bo looked like a crushed puppy. "More? Really? Okay. Great."

Lauren grimaced. "I'm afraid of how much you affect me, because of my experience with Nadia."

"Well, I'm not planning to contract some Fae disease and die," Bo pointed out. "I don't go to Africa. Except that one time. Never mind. Forget I said anything."

"Bo, no one knows this," Lauren said hesitantly. _Was it finally time to tell someone? A Fae someone? Oh, God._ "When I was in the Congo, The Ash asked me to determine the source of the illness."

"Right." Bo nodded. "You told me that."

It was Lauren's turn to pace the room. "He was concerned because Nadia was sick, and humans don't get Fae diseases. Well, I did tests. I mean, of course I did tests. That's what I do. As a doctor. I ran full blood panels on over 140 separate subjects, and that's incredibly difficult to do in the middle of the jungle. There's contamination like you wouldn't believe—"

Bo touched her arm gently. "Lauren. Just tell me."

"Nadia was part Fae. That's why she was sick. She was a Lynx, which made her even more susceptible to that particular strain of retrovirus," Lauren whispered. "Her Lynx blood gave her keen eyesight, which is why she was such a good photographer. She kept so many secrets. From me. She lied to me, Bo! I know, I know. Fae don't tell. But I was her girlfriend!"

As Lauren's eyes filled with tears, Bo tentatively wrapped a strand of the doctor's blonde hair around her finger. "Are you sure Nadia even knew? I mean, I didn't know who or what I was for most of my life."

"She knew. She told me, near the end." Lauren almost spit the words out. "Lynxes are rare, which is why The Ash never suspected anything. I don't know why I didn't tell him. What did it really matter, after Nadia died?"

"I don't know, Lauren," Bo said helplessly. She gently stroked the doctor's cheek, hoping that somehow the physical contact could ease the other woman's obvious pain.

Lauren stared straight into Bo's eyes. "It's why I'm afraid of my reactions to you. I've done this before, a relationship with a rare Fae."

Bo gave her the tiniest of smiles. "Relationship?"

The good doctor found herself struggling to find words. All of the sudden, all she could think about was her mouth on Bo's. Her heart pounded loudly as she grabbed the brunette around the waist and pulled her in close, until she was standing between her legs. The air was thick with sexual energy, making Lauren crave even more contact.

"I want you to kiss me," she breathed. She had never been so sure about anything.


	6. Chapter 6

Bo had been anxiously waiting for such an invitation, and now that it was clear the desire between them was mutual, she did not need to be asked twice. She took the briefest moment to admire the intensity being directed at her from those penetrating dark brown eyes. She could see her own hunger mirrored in them, and it was thrilling. There was no hint of hesitation found there, only unfiltered desire, and it made Bo's entire body shudder in anticipation. This wasn't just another dream or a woman being allured by Succubus blood. It was all Lauren, and she desperately wanted to commit the vision of her, looking like this, to memory for safekeeping. Her hands gently cradled the doctor's face, reeling her in closer.

Bo pressed her mouth to Lauren's, careful to take her time, trying to slowly savor every intimate second. Trust. Wonder. Excitement. Relief. All the heightened emotions that had bonded them together over the past few days rushed over them, and as their kiss deepened, so did their appetites. It felt as if a floodgate, barely holding them back, finally opened and released a fury of feelings raging stronger than rapids.

When Lauren pulled Bo's hips snugly between her legs, the brunette couldn't hold in the groan that escaped her mouth. The warmth between the blonde's thighs made her want to come unhinged; the slow pace of their mouths was suddenly agonizing. They needed more. Lips and tongues became more urgent, as they surrendered to heat of the moment. Lauren slid her hands down from Bo's waist, to her ass, and gently lifted her, a silent invitation to straddle her lap.

"If you keep responding to me like this, doctor, you're going to get way more than a kiss," Bo whispered in a breathless warning.

"I want way more. Is that going to be a problem, Succubus?"

Hearing the words as a challenge, Bo pushed the doctor back until she lay flat on the bed, climbing on top of her, straddling her hips. Smiling down at the blonde, she grabbed both of her hands, methodically weaving their fingers together.

"Tell me, doctor, which finger did you injure in that unfortunate lab accident of yours?" Bo asked, with a subtle twinkle in her eye.

Lauren raised her left pointer finger up in the air and crooked it in invitation.

Bo brought the finger up to her lips and kissed it softly. Lauren smiled at the sweet gesture, but when the brunette, ever so slowly, slid the finger into her mouth and gently sucked on it, the smile quickly developed into a moan. Her eyes rolled back, fully aroused by the sensation. Bo was pleased with the response she had just elicited from the blonde, but even more pleased when she caught her staring down at her breasts, practically devouring them with her eyes.

"My eyes are up here, doctor. You of all people should know anatomy," Bo teased.

Lauren laughed, a shining, glorious sound. "I know my way around a body. And I'm no opthamologist."

"I seeeeee," Bo drawled. "What's your specialty, then?"

"I'm experimental," Lauren shot back. "I'm good with my hands." Those hands slid to the inside of Bo's thighs, and the Succubus shivered.

"What else?" Bo gasped out.

Lauren teased her fingers higher. "I'm very detailed-oriented. Thorough." Bo felt a flood of warmth as the doctor rubbed her mound in slow circles through her panties.

"Oh yeah? Do you take-" Bo's rejoinder was cut off in a small scream of pleasure as Lauren applied even more strategic pressure.

"I take what I want," Lauren said, her meaning crystal clear.

Certain that she would come too soon, Bo broke away. She pulled her tank top slowly over her head, giving Lauren a view that took her breath away, so much, she clutched at her own chest.

"My god, you're breathtaking." Lauren swallowed hard. When her eyes returned back to the brunette's, they were dark and full of lustful intention. The blonde's sexual aura was now blinding. Bo's eyes flashed a bright blue in response, the Succubus in her revving up to full throttle.

Clothing suddenly felt like an unbearable hinderance. They frantically busied themselves, removing any fabric between them, hastily throwing it all on the floor without a care for where it landed. They were singularly focused, craving only the feel and taste of each others warm, naked skin.

Bo bit her bottom lip, as her eyes enjoyed every inch of Lauren's body for the first time. Up until then she had some semblance of control, but the sight of her naked lover, open and ready for her was almost too much for her senses to take in. There was a passing thought, that maybe she should try and slow things down, savor their first experience like a glass of fine wine, but she knew she couldn't. She had waited so long for this.

Lauren motioned with her finger, and silently mouthed, "C'mere."

Feeling primal, Bo sprang into action, lowering her body down, and stretching herself out over the length of the blonde. She pushed the doctor's arms up over her head, boldly pinning her down on the bed. Lauren's back arched up, signaling her intense pleasure from the sudden dominance and warmth of their full body connection. She writhed underneath as Bo left a trail of open mouth kisses and bites everywhere from her jawline down to her breasts. Each kiss felt like a promise of more to come, and it was driving Lauren to distraction. She responded by spreading her legs and wrapping them around Bo's hips. The friction sent a jolt of pleasure directly between the brunette's thighs. Bo was a sexual being; she literally fed off of it to survive, and yet somehow Lauren managed to stir things inside of her unlike anyone else ever had. She gripped tightly at the sheets.

"Oh, fuck, Lauren...I need more of you," she confessed, fully prepared to beg if she had to.

"God, Bo...then take me. Don't hold back. I want this."

Bo eagerly slid herself down, kissing her stomach, her inner thighs, touching and teasing everywhere with her fingers and tongue, until she finally settled between the blonde's legs. For Lauren, the sweet torture of anticipation was too much to handle. The ache building up inside of her was overwhelming. She grabbed Bo's head and guided her where she needed attention the most.

"Please, don't make me wait anymore. I want you to taste me," she pleaded. It was really more an order, than a request.

She moaned loudly, arching her hips off the mattress when Bo finally relented and found her hot center, tasting and exploring her with her tongue. Warmth spread through her entire body, as Bo committed enthusiastically to the task. Lauren was so ready, she quickly came undone from Bo's efforts. She teetered on the edge, not wanting the moment to end too quickly, until she could no longer hold back the first wave of orgasm that swept over her. She held her breath just before a long note of pleasure escaped her lips. Her legs quivered. She sighed, breathing in deeply trying to fill her depleted lungs with air again.

After a moment, the first words out of her mouth were, "That's it for me..."

"Wait..what? We were only getting started," Bo pouted, fully perplexed at her words.

"I mean, that's it for me; my heart has been captured by a Succubus. It's over. Fuck, I don't think I'll ever be the same again." Bo could see the hint of a tear welling up in the corner of her eye. They kissed deeply, their tongues mingling with the taste of Lauren still on Bo's mouth.

The blonde flipped Bo over onto her back. "Now then, where was I before you so thoughtfully interrupted me by taking off your shirt? Oh yeah. Taking what I want. Not sure I can take my time..."

Feeling how wet and ready Bo was for her made her gasp, but she managed to quickly regain her composure. She straddled Bo's thigh, and whispered her intentions into the brunette's ear, while easily sliding her fingers inside of her. Bo's head fell back, letting the sensations of Lauren thrusting consume her, taking her over, and over, and over.

"I want you to come for me," Lauren whispered.

"Ohhh...dear god...Laur..." Bo could hardly think clearly, her words coming out in bursts.

"I want you to come for me...hard," the blonde stated again, using her fingers to add emphasis the last word.

"Waaait," Bo begged, easing her own fingers into Lauren, taking her by surprise. "I want you...to come with me, baby."

Hearing Bo call her "baby" completely undid Lauren. She pushed her hips further down onto Bo's fingers and groaned her pleasure into her ear. They found a rhythm and matched each other's thrusts, their bodies melding into one, until Lauren bent down and took Bo's nipple between her teeth. Bo screamed, climaxing so intensely that she saw stars, but she never stopped stroking in and out of Lauren until, just seconds later, the doctor came with a cry of her own.

Lauren collapsed back on the bed, snuggling herself up against Bo's back. "That was incredible," she mumbled unintelligibly into Bo's neck.

"Say what, doc? Have I found the secret button that turns geek speak into something resembling Klingon?" Bo teased. She moved slightly, enjoying the sensual feel of Lauren's hard nipples on the sweat-slickened skin between her shoulder blades.

"You're lucky I can use more than one fucking syllable at this point," Lauren moaned.

"Fucking has two syllables," Bo quipped. She continued her slow undulation, enjoying Lauren's little responses. She wasn't expecting the doctor to moan again, haul herself almost upright and push Bo flat against the mattress. Her eyes closed, Lauren draped herself on top of the Succubus, bringing their heated centers together. The blonde started moving with clear intention.

"Again?" Bo asked. In response, Lauren increased her rhythm-and the sensual friction-and licked Bo's bottom lip. Bo fumbled between their bodies for Lauren's clit, still hard and swollen, and gasped as Lauren's licking turned to gentle biting.

"Again," Lauren whispered, then slid her tongue inside the Succubus's mouth. She shifted just out of reach of Bo's pleading fingers, forcing the brunette to turn attention to her breasts. Feeling electrified at three points now, the doctor pushed her fingers deep inside Bo, who cried out in pleased shock and came hard.

Lauren continued making love to the Succubus with her persistent hands and mouth, aroused by Bo's tiny whimpers. Her lover had played with her nipples so expertly that the doctor was dripping wet once again, and Lauren slid along Bo's thigh, working up to her second blinding orgasm while the brunette gave in to her third.

They embraced for quite some time, neither wanting to move or end their lovemaking session. They were satisfied yet still so hungry for more.

"Fuck!" Lauren suddenly propped herself up.

Bo giggled. "Yes, please, but give me a few minutes."

"Shit!" Lauren exclaimed. Now Bo couldn't contain her laughter.

"Bo, I just remembered something." The serious expression instantly deflated Bo's giddy mood.

"I've got to go." Lauren said, eyebrows furrowed.


	7. Chapter 7

Lauren searched around the room for the clothes she had thrown off earlier and began hurriedly putting them on.

Bo just sat there, stunned.

_Where the hell is she going in such a hurry?_

She felt sideswiped, she really hadn't seen this coming.

_Is this the same woman who was writhing underneath me just a few minutes ago?_

She was usually the one to hit and run, to take what she needed and move on. No questions asked. No strings, and no complications. She had always been careful to avoid any real attachments; expectations only complicated the life of a Succubus. So why was this any different? What was she expecting from Lauren? Perhaps she should just be thankful the blonde didn't sneak out in the middle of the night without a goodbye.

Her next thought stopped her cold..._What if she didn't feel what I felt?_ _What if I am the only one who thinks there is something special happening between us? _Bo was putting on a brave face, trying not to display the sudden panic she was feeling, but she couldn't shut off the questions firing off in her brain.

She couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Wait, so that's it? We get each other off, and then you just leave? Just like that? You just gave me, quite possibly, the most intimate experience of my life. Where's the basking in the romantic afterglow part that's supposed to happen? I really don't want to let you walk out the door so easily."

Lauren was already half dressed now.

"I'm so relieved to hear you say that, Bo, because I need you to come with me."

"I swear, doctor, you make my damn head spin."

"Do you trust me?" Lauren asked, as she shoved her arm into a sleeve.

"Outside of Kenzi, I can safely say I've never trusted anyone more," Bo admitted.

Lauren smiled at her honesty; it was one of her favorite things about Bo. "I can explain on the way, but right now I would really like for you to come with me."

"Funny, I thought I just did that?" Bo grinned slyly, always one to try and use humor to deflect her feelings.

"You may want to grab some extra clothes, because I'm not sure how long this is going to take."

Bo dragged herself out of bed, still not sure what to think, much less how to feel.

Lauren stopped in the middle of buttoning her shirt, moved in closer, and lifted up the brunette's chin. "And Bo? I have never in my life, felt anything, with anyone, resembling what I felt with you tonight. I meant what I said; you have captured my heart. Just...please, handle with care? My human heart, it's...fragile."

Lauren's eyes conveyed honesty, mixed with a vulnerability that made Bo's heart feel like it was stuck in her throat. She felt a twinge of guilt for being so quick to leap to conclusions, but her insecurity lifted further when Lauren ended her sentiments with a tender kiss.

"Now hurry and get some clothes on, Succubus!" She playfully smacked Bo on the ass. "You are way too goddamn distracting with that body of yours."

* * *

**Bo's Car**

* * *

"So where are we headed exactly?" Bo asked, thinking how she would much rather be in bed. Naked. With Lauren.

"First, we're going to my apartment. Remember how I told you that The Ash wants me to use our friendship, to study you?"

"News alert: We are way beyond friendship now, doctor. I've seen your naked bits. I've banged said naked bits."

Lauren blushed. "He has an assignment for me. Well, actually, for us. He said that you were essential to the success of the task."

"Is this another one of those conversations where you drop a bomb in my lap, and then say, but wait...there's more; if you call now, you also get this matching set of steak knives! Because really, you can keep the damn knives!" The thinly veiled frustration in her voice was not lost on the good doctor.

"I know this is frustrating, and I don't want to have to ask this favor of you. If I could think of any other way...I should have told you sooner, but in case you've forgotten already, I was kind of distracted."

"Oh sure, blame it on the Succubus." Bo teased.

"I really hate that The Ash has put me in this position, but Bo, if I refuse to do whatever it is, he could throw me in a prison cell for days, or worse. This would not be the first time. I'm nothing more than a subordinate, a human slave to the Fae."

"Not to this Fae, you're not." Bo reached over and squeezed the blonde's hand. "At least I know I'll get something good out of this." Lauren shot her a confused look. "I get to spend time with you."

"So, you'll help me?" Lauren felt a small sense of relief.

"Of course, but you're gonna owe me." Bo grinned.

"A nice, long back rub?"

"Think lower."

Lauren knew exactly what Bo meant, but it was much more fun to toy with her. "So it'll be a foot rub then?"

Bo laughed, "Higher, Dr. Smartypants." They both laughed together.

* * *

**Lauren's Apartment**

* * *

When they arrived at Lauren's apartment, The Ash's promised car delivery hadn't shown up yet. They had just enough time to shower, and cook something to eat. They were just finishing up omelettes, when there was a knock at the door.

They stopped what they were doing and looked at each other. The doctor's eyes were weighted with hesitation, but she answered the door anyway. It was one of The Ash's minions. He didn't say a word, just handed Lauren a pair of keys, turned around, and left.

"Wow, he's a real charmer, that one." Bo rolled her eyes.

Lauren took in a deep breath, looking nervous. "Well, I guess this is it. Are you ready? It's not too late to back out now, if you want to. I would understand."

"Whatever happens, no matter what, we're in this together." Bo reassured.

"Okay then, let's do this." Lauren was doing her best to swallow her nerves and put on a confident face. She wasn't as anxious for herself as she was for bringing Bo into an unknown situation with her.

They found the car parked out in front of the building. It was the type of car that you couldn't exactly miss; in fact, it had already drawn the slack-jawed attention of a few neighbors.

"Holy shit, Lauren! Look at that thing...what is it?" Bo gasped.

"That's an Aston Martin, 750 horsepower, 7.3 liter V12 engine. 0 to 60 in 3.4 seconds; tops out at 220 miles per hour. It's one of the rarest Astons on the market, with its full carbon fiber chassis, handcrafted aluminum body, and its 1.85 million dollar price tag."

Bo stood there a moment with her mouth gaping before she was able to say, "What a piece of shit! Ugh, I'm not driving that thing!"

Lauren grinned, slid on a pair of aviators, and threw Bo the keys. "I call shotgun."

Bo, still feeling slightly aroused by the doctor's detailed knowledge of the car, tried to play it cool as she slid into the soft leather seats. The enigmatic doctor had so many surprising layers to her, each one more intriguing than the next.

Lauren wasted no time reaching into the glove box for the envelope she was told would be there. Inside the envelope there was eight hundred in cash, and a note closed with a wax seal, impressed with the symbol of the Light Fae. She knew the symbol well, since it was the mark she wore around her neck, a constant reminder of her place in the Fae world.

"Are you gonna open it, or just stare at it?" Bo asked, as she fidgeted with the keys in her hand.

Lauren ripped the seal off. "Let's get this done, so we can go home and do each other."

"I like the way you think, Dr. Lewis. What the hell does that even say though? It looks like it's written in some kind of code."

"It's an ancient Fae language, called Fae'len. It's no longer in use; only a few Clan Elders even know how to read or write in it. The Ash apparently didn't want anyone else to be able to decipher this."

"What a drama king. Can you read it?" Bo's eyebrow arched up.

Tension hung in the air. Lauren lifted up her aviators, taking a moment to carefully decipher the words before she cleared her throat, "He wants us to collect DNA samples from a rare Fae species. He says this Fae is highly intelligent, is known to have psychic abilities, but can also be aggressive. Because of its clairvoyance, it may be able predict our arrival, so your Succubus skills will come in handy. Medical supplies are in the trunk, and the GPS system has already been set to the coordinates we need. The money is for any food or lodging expenses we may have along the way. It's tricky, because there is no word for DNA or GPS in the ancient language, but that's my educated guess."

Bo grinned, "Sounds easy enough; I think we got this."

Lauren wished she could feel as confident as Bo, but there was one thing in the note that sent her mind reeling, and her nerves on edge. She was thankful she hadn't finished all of her omelette, because her stomach might not be able to keep it down.

"Is there something else? You look, I dunno, uncomfortable?" Bo inquired.

The doctor wasn't ready to say the words out loud just yet, so she did her best to change the subject, switching on the GPS. "Looks like it's 478 miles, round trip. It's not a heavily populated area. No airport nearby."

"I can tell there's something bothering you; you do this little thing with your jaw that gives it away every time," Bo observed.

Lauren fought to push the tangled words out, "The rare Fae species we need to take samples from? Well, The Ash thinks it might be a male Issiodorensis Lyncurium, they were thought to be extinct."

"Okay, ew, is that as nasty as it sounds?"

"It's considered to be the prehistoric ancestor of four separate species of Lynx, all thought to be near extinction as well," Lauren explained.

"Wait, a Lynx? Isn't that the type of Fae your late girlfriend...?"

Lauren nodded, and a tear fell down her cheek.

"I can see why that would make you feel emotional. Tell you what, I'm going to give you a minute to yourself to process all of this. I need to call Kenzi anyway, to let her know I probably won't be home for a couple of days. Take all the time you need, okay?"

Lauren nodded again, thankful for the quiet space to breathe.

* * *

**Kenzi Call**

* * *

"Hey chica! Better make it fast...I just grabbed a five finger discount, and the po-po are coming for me!"

Bo could hear sirens in the background. "Kenz, we've talked about this!"

"Simmer down, Princess Leatherpants, I'm just playing Grand Theft Auto. What's up?"

Bo sighed. "I wanted to let you know that I'm going to be gone for a couple of days. Everything is fine; Awesome, in fact. I'm going on a short trip with -" she paused before adding, "Lauren."

"Oh em gee, Bobo! You bagged and tagged Doctor Hottie? I'm so proud!" Kenzi beamed at the phone.

Bo didn't say anything, she didn't need to. "I feel really happy, Kenzi."

"You deserve to be. We have a lot to catch up on. I hear doctors are freaky deaky in bed with their expert knowledge of...uhh, on second thought, nevermind, I don't even wanna go there. Sorry, gotta run, the po-po are about to confiscate my stash! I worked hard to steal that shit!"

"Talk to you soon, Kenz."

* * *

**Road Trippin'**

* * *

"This car is really nice, but don't you think it's a little over the top, even for a Fae leader?" Bo asked. As a Fae on the run for the past decade, she did not have many possessions of her own. She couldn't imagine owning something so lavish. She was part of the Fae world now, but in so many ways, she still felt so distant from it. Disconnected, like an outsider who belonged on the Island of Misfit Toys she'd seen on tv as a child.

"You should see the car The Morrigan drives; this is tame by comparison. I suspect that this car also has certain technology capabilities, making us easy to track. I would not be surprised if we are being monitored right now," Lauren explained, matter-of-factly. After five years of servitude, she had become, in a strange way, numb to the invasive feeling of being watched. It still bothered her, but she didn't expend as much energy worrying about things that were out of her control.

"May I suggest, Mr. Ash, if you are listening, could you include a button for time travel next time?" Bo mused.

Lauren pointed to a flashing button on the console between them. "Next best thing, heated seats," she smirked.

"I wonder what kind of gas mileage this baby gets? Does a car like this even run on gas?" Bo inquired.

"It probably runs on the blood of virgin sacrifices," Lauren dryly responded.

Bo smiled widely. "So definitely not us, then."

Lauren grinned back. "No, but I bet your blood would send this beauty into hyperdrive."

_The vials of Bo's blood..._She checked for them in her jacket. Still secure.

An hour later, Lauren woke up feeling rested after a nap. She ran her fingers through her hair, and lifted up her aviators, giving Bo a sleepy eyed smile.

"I hope The Ash has excellent car insurance coverage, because with you sitting over there, looking the way you do...it's distracting, and I cannot be held responsible for keeping this car on the road," Bo admitted, and bit her bottom lip.

* * *

**The Diner**

* * *

They stopped for a late lunch at a small diner claiming to have _The Best Blueberry Pie in the World_! They split a cheeseburger. Bo carb-loaded on a side of fries, while Lauren ordered a small side salad.

"Do you want whipped cream on that?" waitress Marge asked, when they ordered a slice of world famous pie to share for dessert. They both enthusiastically nodded.

Bo's mind predictably drifted to things she'd like to do with Lauren and whipped cream.

She left an extra large tip for Marge on the table, grabbed Lauren by the wrist, and hurriedly pulled her into the restroom, locking the door behind them. Bo wasted no time pressing the blonde up against the door, leaning in seductively, and feverishly planting kisses along her neck.

Lauren hesitated at first. A public restroom was definitely not on her list of romantic places. Her mind couldn't help but run through a disturbing list of bacteria commonly found there: _E. Coli, Staphylococcus Aureus, Streptococcus, Campylobacter, and Salmonella. _Bo's persistent and persuasive tongue eventually won, distracting her from the pathogenic deluge. She became wildly aroused despite herself.

"A second helping of dessert? Marge will be disappointed to learn the world famous blueberry pie did not satisfy," Lauren said, now feeling flirty, but trying to catch her breath from the sudden onslaught.

"What can I say? I have a sweet tooth," Bo replied in between kisses.

They made out in the restroom for several more minutes; just as Lauren was teasing her fingers into a very wet Bo, there was a knock on the door. Another restaurant patron needing to use the facilities, interrupting their hungry pursuits. They quickly straightened themselves up and walked out, looking rather disheveled.

"Be sure to like us on Facebook, if you enjoyed the pie!" waitress Marge yelled out to them as they were leaving.

They laughed to themselves all the way back to the car.

Lauren took the wheel this time, leaving Bo with way too much free time on her hands. The pent-up sexual energy she had from their interrupted quickie, and sitting in close proximity to the doctor for so many hours had her fidgeting, like a tiger ready to pounce. At one point, she blasted the air conditioning on high and sat on her own hands, thinking it might somehow help.

Familiar with the basic physiology of succubi, Lauren could see all the telltale signs.

Bo needed to feed.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Hotel**

* * *

"You don't look so good. Are you feeling okay?" Lauren asked, as she pulled into the parking lot.

"I'll be fine," Bo replied, not wanting to make a big fuss, but not really believing herself either.

Lauren placed a gentle hand on the brunette's shoulder. "I'll go check us in to the hotel. Why don't you stay here and take it easy? I shouldn't be too long."

Bo thoughtfully studied her long, deliberate strides, the distinctive swagger of her hips, the way her hair gently danced across her back as she moved. Her eyes followed the doctor, holding on to the vision as long as she could, until she finally disappeared into the building. Her heart stirred at the thought of soon sharing a bed with this woman.

The urge to feed was building.

She had been on the run for so many years, trying to fight her true nature. Even now, she fought an instinctual urge to run, to suppress the monster lurking within. She was thankful that Lauren saw her for who she really was and wasn't afraid. She didn't have to hide anymore.

"You can't starve yourself, Bo," the doctor would often tell her.

Lauren had been the one to tell her she was Fae and explain to her that feeding on _chi_ was completely natural for a Succubus, not something to be ashamed of, but rather embraced. Without it, she would not survive. She remembered being stunned that anyone would accept her as anything other than a freak. She still struggled with the idea of being "normal." Her urges didn't always feel normal, but she was making progress, learning how to better control them. She had Lauren to thank for that, too.

Deep breath.

Bo shifted in her seat, her arousal now becoming uncomfortable. She glanced down at her hand resting on her thigh, so close to her center. She was contemplating easing it further down to relieve some of the pressure building, when Lauren emerged from the hotel.

"Okay, grab your things. We're on the 10th floor, corner suite." Lauren handed Bo the keys.

They waited together in the lobby for an elevator.

Bo couldn't stop fidgeting. She knew she was in deep now, the hunger within taking over, and she was all but powerless to stop it. Her breathing became harsh and jagged, her pulse racing.

Lauren knew the signs, she grabbed the brunette's hand and squeezed it for reassurance. "Hang on, Bo. We're almost there."

An elevator finally arrived, not a moment too soon. The doors slid open, and thankfully, there was nobody inside. Lauren pulled Bo in, immediately pushing the 'close door' button. She didn't want any unsuspecting guests along for the ride. Bo's eyes had turned a blazing blue, the hunger now consuming her. She was hunched over, leaning against the wall for support.

The elevator was excruciatingly slow.

Floor 1

Floor 2

Floor 3

"Damn it. I think it would have been quicker to take the stairs at this rate!" Lauren exclaimed, watching each floor light up as it passed.

The doctor grew anxious that a hotel guest from another floor would need to get on the elevator. The frightening scenario played out in her mind - a stranger trapped inside a small metal box with the hungry-eyed Succubus - she became alarmed. Lauren decided that she needed to act quickly and take the situation into her own hands. She set her overnight bag down and hit the button to stop the elevator, bringing it to a slow halt somewhere between floor 4 and 5.

"Hey there, can you hear me?" Lauren asked tenderly, a hint of nervousness in her voice. She checked the brunette's pupils, cradling Bo's face in her hands.

"Laur...I need…" she answered weakly.

"I know what you need, Bo." She squeezed the brunette's shoulders, her brown eyes pleading with the succubus to hang on. "How long has it been since you've actually fed...on _chi_?"

"I...I don't remember ."

Struggling with what seemed like a hundred tangled emotions at once, Lauren leaned in and took Bo's mouth with her own. She knew the risk she was taking as she opened her lips in an invitation for the succubus to take what she needed. She had to trust that Bo would be able to stop herself before she was depleted.

A gasp escaped her throat when an unfamiliar tingling sensation traveled from Bo's lips to hers, and then rapidly spread throughout the rest of her body. As the kiss deepened, her whole body began to vibrate with warm energy. Her legs quivered underneath her, her velvet skin humming and flushing with heat, responding to the unadulterated lust pouring out of the succubus.

Lauren flooded between her legs. The pleasure pulsating through her was so unlike anything she'd ever experienced before that she almost couldn't wrap her mind around it. It was as if all her nerve endings were firing signals at once, and then shooting straight down to her core. She was becoming so lost in the sensual pull, allowing the sensations to wash over her, that she didn't want to come up for air.

Being pushed hard up against the wall of the elevator, with her leather jacket bunched up in Bo's fists, brought her momentarily out of her stupor. Bo's strength was now returning with fresh vigor; her hands suddenly felt like they were everywhere.

Bo pushed the jacket partially off the blonde's shoulders, exposing her neck to an invasion of hungry kisses. Then using the belt loops of Lauren's jeans, she pulled her hips closer, forcing a thigh between the doctor's legs. The loud moan that the blonde gave in response to her impassioned assertions snapped the Succubus out of her feeding frenzy haze.

"Don't stop. More..." Lauren pleaded breathlessly, not ready to let go of the contact high quite yet.

Bo was speechless. There was something so pure about the _chi _she had just tasted that she was taken aback by the overwhelming feeling of it now coursing through her body. She was never one to get emotional during these encounters-she knew better than to allow feelings to interfere-but in this moment she was swept away, not able to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes. _Is this what love tastes like? _ She only had a small sample of Lauren's energy, but the potency of it was all it took to awaken her senses and restore her own strength.

Bo smiled when she noticed Lauren was entirely oblivious to the emotions she had just stirred inside of her. Her eyes traveled from the blonde's face, slowly down her torso, and then abruptly stopped below in pleasant surprise. The doctor was still in a lustful haze, her eyes closed, her hand inside the front of her own jeans. A new wave of arousal stirred within Bo as she watched the blonde sensually orchestrating her own grand finale performance.

Not wanting to be completely left out, Bo leaned back in for a passionate kiss, being careful this time not to feed. She grazed her palms over Lauren's breasts. The intimate touch of Bo's hands teasing lightly over her erect nipples unraveled the last thread of control the blonde had. Her head fell back against the elevator wall, and she moaned her pleasure as the orgasm swept in. Bo was certain she would never get tired of watching the typically buttoned up doctor letting go in these intimate moments they shared.

After a moment, Lauren finally opened her eyes, slowly coming back to reality.

"Hey there, beautiful." Bo smiled.

The doctor just stood there blinking, her mind still clouded.

"That's okay, no words are needed. It's been a long day; let's go find our room, shall we?" Bo helped straighten up Lauren's jacket, then picked up both their bags. She pushed the button to start the elevator moving again.

They were both lost in thought from day's events, and didn't speak as they walked down the hallway, searching for their room. Once inside, they got ready for bed in silence, brushing their teeth and not bothering with any pajamas.

Within minutes, it was lights out.

Sliding into the king-sized bed, they met somewhere in the middle, merging their bodies closely together.

Lauren considered herself to be a logical person. She had a natural drive to help others, to find answers, and offer solutions. She was a healer, a problem solver. It was one reason she had been drawn to science and medicine. She was not used to being on the other side of the coin, a person in need of answers. What she had experienced in the elevator with Bo had her rational mind reeling, and her emotions exposed. She felt as if Bo had reached deep inside her, shaken things up, rearranged everything, and then put her back together. Only she wasn't sure her heart fit inside her chest the same as it did before. It was now raw and overflowing. She could no longer keep her heart tucked away, she had to share it, completely, or she thought she might burst.

They made love, each taking their time leisurely exploring the other, intimately communicating everything they were feeling with their hands instead of words, until they were both happily sated. Arms and legs still entangled, the couple embraced for a long time afterwards, allowing drowsiness to wash over them.

After awhile Lauren broke the silence, her voice now tired and husky. "What was your favorite game growing up?"

"_Hungry, Hungry Hippos_," Bo replied, without needing any time to think about it.

"Huh, after tonight's activities, I would have guessed you were more of a _Twister_ kind of girl," Lauren gently teased.

"What can I say? I highly identified with those big-mouthed hippos and their desperate need to feed," Bo mused. "What was yours?"

"_Operation_. I was just so good at it. It got to the point where nobody wanted to play with me because I'd always win ."

Bo smiled and kissed Lauren on the forehead. She wrapped her arm loosely around her waist until the blonde drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Thirty minutes passed and Bo was still awake. All she could think about was the hundred and fifty things she wanted to tell Kenzi about Lauren. She knew there would be no sleep until she did. She decided to get dressed and take a walk so she could call her, and not disturb Lauren.

As she waited for an elevator, Bo speed-dialed Kenzi and was disappointed when it went to voicemail.

"Hey, Kenz, it's Bo. First, I miss you. Second, I have so much I want to tell you." Bo took a deep breath and went for the full gush. "Lauren is so amazing, and I can't wait for you two to get a chance to get to know each other. We need to get together soon, Kenz, because I'll be honest with you...I think I'm falling in love. I really need to talk this out with my best friend, so call me back soon. Love ya. Bye."

As Bo leaned against the elevator wall, remembering some of the most delicious highlights of the last two hours, someone called out, "Can you hold the elevator please?"

Bo sighed. She hit the "Open Door" button, and a beautiful raven-haired woman got on.

"Thank you. I appreciate it," the woman said as she smiled and looked Bo up and down. "These elevators are painfully slow. I didn't want to wait for the next one, so thanks again."

"Hey, no problem." Bo noticed how the stranger's smile lit up her whole face. She was stunning.

"Are you staying here long?" the woman inquired cheerfully.

"No, just one night. We leave tomorrow morning."

The woman nodded, almost seeming disappointed.

"I'm here with a...close friend," Bo continued, trying to fill the awkward silence. She had really wanted to say girlfriend, but then thought maybe she should have a conversation with Lauren about that first. They hadn't really discussed any official declarations.

"Do you hold hands with all your close friends?" the woman asked directly.

"Uh…" Bo didn't fully register the question, she was still letting the word girlfriend bounce around in her brain, trying it on, to see how it felt.

"I'm sorry, I must sound like some kind of stalker or something," the woman continued, "I saw you in the lobby earlier with a beautiful woman. You were holding hands. You seemed intimate."

Images of Lauren's face, flushed with arousal, flashed through Bo's mind, sidetracking her train of thought again. "Oh sorry, yeah, I...I mean, we ..." She cleared her throat, a little embarrassed at being so easily distracted.

"Never mind. It's none of my business. I really shouldn't be so forward with strangers. I was just going down to the bar for a drink before bed. I don't suppose you'd want to have a drink with complete stranger would, you? I don't really enjoy drinking alone." Her eyes sparkled. "See, there I go, being too forward again!"

Bo smiled back. "Sure, why not. Just one drink. My name is Bo, by the way. There, see, we aren't strangers anymore."

"Very nice to meet you, Bo," the dark-haired beauty said with a slow smile. "I'm Nadia ."


	9. Chapter 9

Authors Note: Hope you enjoy this chapter! I appreciate everyone who takes the time to leave a comment, it really keeps me motivated. As always, thank you for reading!

* * *

**The Bar**

* * *

Bo wondered just how common the name was as they walked to the hotel bar. She thought back to Lauren's story about her girlfriend Nadia, trying to recall any details she could, but she couldn't remember Lauren ever describing her physical appearance.

She remembered the sultry look in Lauren's eyes right before they made love the last time, however. Bo smiled to herself as she trailed the forward stranger to the bar.

_What was she doing? Thinking? Why wasn't she making a lame excuse and running back to the elevator and Lauren? _

Bo sighed. She wanted to do this right. She was going to be a good Fae girlfriend and let her human lover get some much needed sleep...her oh so sexy human lover with the perfect breasts and gorgeous blonde hair that fell enticingly across her forehead...

Only half aware that she had entered the bar, Bo snapped out of her reverie when Nadia ordered a glass of red wine, a Malbec. That was Lauren's favorite wine. Weird coincidence, or maybe she just had Lauren on the brain. After all, she certainly was obsessed with having the blonde on other parts of her body. Bo shook off the moment of unease about Nadia and ordered a _Rum & Coke _for herself.

They sat down at the bar. Bo checked her phone, hoping Kenzi would call her back soon so she could cut this short.

"So, Bo, what do you do for a living?" Nadia asked, opening the conversation.

"I'm a private investigator," Bo said. She downed half of her drink - the sooner she could leave, the better.

"Ooh, that sounds interesting. I bet you meet a lot of interesting people in that line of work."

"Yup." Bo took another large gulp and tried not to wince at the sting of strong rum. "It's certainly never dull."

"Are you here on a case?"

Bo shifted in her seat, "I suppose you could say that, but I'm really not at liberty to talk about it. Client confidentiality and all that. What do you do, Nadia, besides talk to random strangers on elevators?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"I'm a freelance photographer. I get to travel a lot, which I love. Would you like to see some of my pictures?"

Bo drained her drink down to the ice cubes. "Okay. Sure, I guess, but I can't stay long. I finished my drink, and I really should be getting back to my girlfriend."

Nadia pulled a camera out of her handbag, shifting through the digital pictures, until she found one she liked. "This is a good one. I took it earlier today."

Bo's stomach jumped into her throat when she saw the image. It was a photo of her and Lauren, holding hands and laughing outside of the diner. The photo was close enough to see their expressions, but had to have been taken with some type of long distance surveillance camera lens.

"Lauren looks happy, wouldn't you agree?" Nadia commented.

Bo fought the immediate urge to reach across, grab the woman by the neck, then hit her soundly over the head with the camera, but fortunately for Nadia, she didn't want to make a scene in the bar. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, trying for a more civil approach. "Not really one for subtlety, huh? I thought The Ash sent us to find a male Fae. Since you seem to already be aware of that plan, why all the games, you rare Fae...Spanx? You are Fae, right?"

"Fae? Yes. I'm a Lynx, not Spanx."

_Whatever. It's not like you would need to wear Spanx, anyway,_ Bo thought to herself.

"Lauren knows I'm fae. I told her in Africa."

Bo was pretty sure her head actually was spinning, exorcist-style. "Wow. You're not dead. You are so much more totally not dead and uber-stalkery than Lauren had described you. What the hell do you even want, Nadia?"

"I just want to talk."

"I think I'm done talking." Bo slammed her glass down on the bar and stood up to leave.

"Bo, please don't say anything to Lauren about this. It would hurt her too much."

"Oh, gee, that's just brilliant! Now you're worried about Lauren's feelings? We'll, I'm sorry, I don't cover for liars. Do you have any idea how much pain you've caused her?"

"Yes, I do."

Bo could see tears forming in Nadia's eyes, but she didn't give a shit. She was pissed.

_Crazy-ass stalker-jealous-dead-ex-girlfriend-drama bullshit! _

"It's complicated." Nadia looked down at the floor.

"Oh, cry me a fucking river!" Bo couldn't help herself. She wanted to swing a nasty, verbal right hook at Lauren's ex-girlfriend before she walked out dramatically. "Let me uncomplicate things for you, Nadia. Lauren and I are amazing together; she says I'm the best she's ever had. So why don't you crawl your zombie bitch-ass back into whatever miserable hole you came out of. She doesn't need you, and I sure as shit don't have time for your soap opera drama." Bo picked up the camera off the table and turned around to leave.

"I know you have no reason to believe me, but I'm not here to interfere with your relationship with Lauren. I was assigned to follow you. I'm just following orders," Nadia called out.

Bo swung back around and leaned on the bar, getting right up in Nadia's face; she was done playing nice. It was all she could do not to punch her, right between her goddamn perfectly shaped eyebrows. Bo pushed the words out through clenched teeth, "You have five words or less to explain, before I walk out."

"The Ash sent me."

Bo let the information sink in; it didn't add up. Nadia had obviously managed to deceive Lauren with her death somehow, so why would she be telling the truth now? She wasn't buying it.

"You're Dark Fae. You wouldn't work for The Ash. You're lying."

Nadia tried, but she couldn't hide her surprise. "Wow, Lauren must really care for you to have confided that much information to you."

"Yeah, well, we're honest with each other. Maybe you should try it sometime."

Nadia ignored her jab. "I have proof that I'm telling you the truth."

"I'm listening, but I'm easily bored. Could you hurry it up? I have a super hot, naked girlfriend waiting in bed upstairs." She paused intentionally. "For me."

Bo could tell she'd definitely hit her intended mark with that comment, but Nadia quickly regained her composure. "The camera you're holding has photographs on it, taken from inside the Light Fae compound. Under supervision of The Ash, I've been watching Lauren for a long time. See for yourself."

Bo checked the contents on the camera. There were images taken of her office visits with Lauren, each marked with a time and date stamp, spanning over the last few months. _Shit. _Bo slowly sat back down. She was pissed and didn't trust Nadia, but she had so many questions. She needed to hear more.

"Are we in danger?"

"No, but I probably am, now that I've spoken to you. I had strict orders to follow and document, but not engage. I couldn't help myself though; I needed to meet you, and this is the first opportunity I've had to talk to you alone. I've watched your relationship develop with Lauren over these past few months. I still feel protective of her, and I thought you were a threat. Succubi don't exactly have the best reputations, as you know. I didn't want to see her hurt again, like I had hurt her."

"What I can't wrap my head around, Nadia, is why you haven't talked to Lauren in all these years. You had to see she was hurting. It's just so uncaring and cruel."

"Like I said, it's complicated. You're unaligned in the Fae world. Of course you wouldn't understand." Nadia looked suddenly grim.

"So, help me to understand. Why does The Ash want you to follow us?"

"He's protecting his assets. Lauren is human, but her knowledge and experience with the Fae make her invaluable."

"That doesn't explain why you're working for him."

"I changed my allegiance to the Light Fae, five years ago."

"That was around the time you died, or didn't die-whatever. So what happened?"

"I used to work for The Morrigan, back when I was Dark Fae. She would typically use me to spy on the Light, take photographs undercover, bring her information, things of that nature. She's a schemer, always trying to keep one step ahead of the The Ash. She acts like she wants to keep peace between the Dark and Light, but it's a con; she only plays the game so she can stay in power. She's managed to fool the Council, but if she could have her way, she'd destroy everyone who didn't side with her, with the Dark. It's twisted fun for her. I found this out when I discovered one of her experiments. She spread a deadly virus in a Light Fae village in Africa."

"The Congo…" Bo interjected.

"That's right. She sent me to take photographs, but what I found there was appalling. I'd never been around such pain and suffering like that before. It changed me. I knew I had to do something."

Nadia paused, and took a deep breath before she continued. "I did some extensive searching and found Dr. Lewis. Her research on free radicals had been recognized in the human science community as revolutionary. Her work was being cited in scientific journals and academic publications everywhere as being brilliant, a true pioneer. I thought her background in biochemistry, along with her medical knowledge, would be perfect to help the Fae in the Congo, so I decided to pose as a human and try to get to know her. We hit it off immediately. There's just something about her that draws you in, you know? I went in needing her help, but came out a different person after getting to know her."

"I can relate to that," Bo inserted.

"I never looked at humans the same way after I met Lauren, but what I hadn't planned on was falling in love with her."

"I can relate to that, too," Bo said reluctantly. She didn't want to concede anything to Nadia, but she found herself nodding in agreement.

"I arranged a meeting with The Ash and explained how Lauren might be able to help him, and possibly find a cure for the sick Fae, if she had the resources. So he set up a plan and had her requested for a biochemical research expedition in the Congo. The plan was to give her enough data and samples of the disease from the field to be able to help, but to not expose any information about the Fae. She was never intended to find out about that. We had become close by then, and she asked me to join the field expedition as a photographer, to document the research. I think she hoped she could publish the findings of the expedition at some point."

"But then you accidentally got infected with the disease?" Bo asked.

"It wasn't by accident. The Morrigan found out about Dr. Lewis and my plan to find a cure to the virus she had started. She was pissed that I had double crossed her, so, being the vengeful bitch that she is, she infected me with the virus."

"Oh, damn." Bo didn't want to like Nadia, at all, but she found herself feeling a little bad.

"I'm sure The Morrigan doesn't appreciate the irony, but me becoming ill is what pushed Lauren harder to find a cure, and eventually discover the infected village were actually Fae. I should have known she would figure it all out-she's brilliant. You have to understand, I never intended to put her life in danger."

Bo raised an eyebrow at that. "Lauren found a cure for the Fae disease, but she thought it didn't work on you because you were human. Then she found out you weren't human, but it was too late? Yet here you are..."

"Lauren's cure did work, but I was as good as dead since The Morrigan would kill me when she found out the virus didn't take me out like she'd planned. The Ash was grateful to me, for my part in finding Dr. Lewis and her cure. He said he would protect me, keep me hidden. He also said he would do everything he could to help my species, the Lynx, survive extinction, but all of this had to come in exchange for my allegiance to the Light Fae. Most importantly, Lauren couldn't know I was alive. She's too valuable to him, and it would have put her in danger. The Morrigan would have tortured her for information. So I had to die. Lauren lost it; she had done everything she could to try and save me. She was hysterical when she thought I had finally passed, and was escorted out of the room immediately by The Ash's guards. I almost wished I had died. It would have been easier than listening to her go through that."

"Lauren is a slave to The Ash now. She has you to thank for that," Bo pointed out. Her sympathy was fading.

"I didn't know that was part of his plan, I swear. My only consolation is that I get to watch over her now, and try to protect her as best I can, whenever The Ash doesn't have me working on other assignments."

"Oh, yeah, you're a regular guardian angel."

Nadia was fighting to swallow her emotions. "I need to get some air. I can't breathe."

Bo scoffed. "You just told me you're my girlfriend's dead ex lover and you've been watching us for months. _You_ can't breathe?"

They left the bar and walked outside. Bo crossed her arms across her chest and glowered at the Lynx. "Spill it. Is this assignment The Ash sent Lauren on just another one of your lies, Nadia?"

"No, it's legitimate. My species are all but extinct now, and The Ash has new information that another Lynx lives around here. He wants Lauren's help to try and keep the species alive. I have absolutely no doubt she will be able to. I think he's kind of obsessed with the idea of changing a species that has been historically Dark to Light Fae."

She paused, deep in thought, "I want to apologize, Bo. I was wrong about you. I can see now that you're different than I had assumed. I've been photographing you for months, so you'd think I would have been able to admit it before now. I can see that you love Lauren, and she looks so happy in every photo that I've ever taken of the two of you. She deserves that happiness."

"I do love her. I'm going to keep her happy," Bo pronounced.

"Oh, please, ladies - stop with all the sugary sentiments. It's giving me indigestion," someone drawled from the darkness. The Morrigan emerged from the shadows behind them, making a grand entrance flanked by three very large bald men. She laughed maliciously. "Oh, now this is getting interesting. Here's the unaligned Succubitch and Nadia McBackstabber getting cozy. How delightful. Glad I could make it to the party, even though it appears that I'm stylishly overdressed for the occasion." The Morrigan executed a perfect twirl in her form-fitting purple velvet dress.

"What do you want?" Nadia hissed.

"Diamonds, they are a girls best friend, but I think I'll have to go with world domination, that's much more my style," The Morrigan cooed. She turned to her henchmen. "Tie them up and put them in the car. I have delicious plans for these two."

Bo snarled at the oncoming bald guys. "Screw you, Hair Club For Men!" She swung a punch at one, but didn't do enough damage, as another grabbed her and pinned her arms to her sides, dragging her through the parking lot. She kicked and tried to wriggle out to succubus them, but she couldn't break her arms free. Soon they had both her and Nadia's wrists bound behind their backs with a thick plastic zip ties.

The Morrigan snapped her fingers, and the henchmen immediately stopped in place. "I almost forgot!" she said cheerfully. She gracefully glided over to Bo, extracted the Succubus's cell phone from a pocket, and started scrolling through text messages.

"Aw!" The Morrigan pouted playfully. "It looks like Dr. Lewis is awake. And she's missing her sexy baby, Bo. We'll just have to reassure her. It's only good manners."

She held the phone up. "Boys, please put our two guests side by side. You two are both so fond of taking pictures, aren't you? Nadia, try to look less nauseated. Bo, how about a little peck on the cheek? Arm around the shoulder? Dagger to the throat? No? Party poopers. Oh well." Bo flinched at the flash of the camera phone while the Morrigan laughed in delight.

"I have real talent," she declared. "This is an amazing photo. Now, I just attach it to a message and hit send!"

Bo felt ill. "What did you just do?" she demanded, struggling against the iron grip of her personal henchman.

The Morrigan casually tossed the phone back to Bo, but it clattered to the ground ten feet away. Nadia, with her super Lynx eyesight, saw everything clearly and groaned.

"What? What does it say?" Bo demanded frantically.

Nadia whispered, "Come rescue your girlfriend."


	10. Chapter 10

**The Hotel**

* * *

Lauren rolled over, expecting to find Bo's warm body; instead she found an empty cold spot on the mattress where she used to be. She sat up, rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked around the room.

Bo wasn't anywhere.

The clock said it was 1 AM. Odd time for a walk, but she knew that Bo had been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand.

No new messages.

She typed a quick text..._"Where's my sexy baby? I'm keeping the bed warm for you."_ [send]

Just as she was drifting back to sleep, the cell phone vibrated and lit up the room. She smiled to herself, anticipating one of Bo's trademark flirty responses, but what she saw instead made her feel like she'd been punched hard in the stomach.

"_Come rescue your girlfriend_."

She froze. The room started spinning when she saw the image attached.

_It couldn't be. No. It's not possible. _

Lauren stood up, shaking so much she dropped the cell phone on her foot. The emotions pulling her down felt even stronger than the force of gravity, her chest so tight it was suffocating. She tried to calm herself down, to find a rational explanation, but couldn't come up with one. A wave of nausea washed over her, and she realized she had never been so nervous in her life about making a phone call.

"This is The Ash," the smooth voice announced on the other end of the line. "Dr. Lewis, do you have progress to report?"

"What happened in the Congo?" Lauren blurted out. "I just received what appears to be a photo of Nadia, with the Succubus Bo. The Lynx died in the viral outbreak. I saw her die. I need to know what happened..."

The air was uncomfortably thick; the long silence from The Ash seemed to reach out and choke her. She wanted to scream at him. Had he tricked her into this life of servitude? Was Nadia still alive?

"The Lynx was deathly ill, but thanks to your cure, she fully recovered. It was necessary for her to go into hiding to avoid further reprisal from The Morrigan. She has been under my protection and in my employ for some time now," the Ash responded matter-of-factly, as if he were discussing nothing more than the weather.

Lauren's head was spinning. "What does The Morrigan have to do with Nadia?"

"The virus you cured was created by the Dark Fae, under the direction of The Morrigan. She hoped to wipe out the African village as a test, likely with her sights set on the eventual eradication of the Light," The Ash answered.

_The Morrigan created the virus? Oh, shit._

"The Lynx had enough of a conscience to come to me when she found out about this plan, along with information about you. She was correct that you would be able to help us," he continued.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Lauren pleaded. _How could they all have lied to me? It's beyond cruel. It's unconscionable. _

"It was for your own protection. The Ash replied in the same smooth, cool tone. "Believing that the Lynx was dead was for the best."

"Then why the hell is she at this hotel?" Lauren demanded.

The Ash paused, "I sent her to follow you and the Succubus."

Lauren closed her eyes. "And why would she send me a photo of herself and Bo on Bo's cell phone?" she inquired further.

"That I cannot explain, Dr. Lewis" The Ash observed. "She has specific orders to keep her distance. She photographs and reports, but is not supposed to make any contact. I will deal with Nadia, but I need you to focus on your assignment.

Lauren bit her lower lip so hard it almost bled. She waited for The Ash to disconnect the call.

The thoughts flooded so quickly she had to press her hands to her pounding temples. _This has to be a bad dream._ _The Ash lied to me. Nadia lied to me. The virus didn't kill her. She's been following me and watching me. Stalking me. Seeing me with..._

"Oh, God," Lauren said aloud. "Nadia kidnapped Bo." It only took her three seconds to dial the next number.

* * *

**Undisclosed Location**

* * *

"Where are we? What do you want with us? Bo demanded, trying to loosen the zip ties bound snugly around her wrists.

Nadia, tied to the same post, chimed in, "I know why you want me, but let the Succubus go. She's done nothing."

"Oh, please, ladies, don't flatter yourselves. I'm sure it must be disappointing, but it's not you I'm interested in. You two are nothing more than bait. Very alluring, very enticing bait." The Dark Fae slowly twirled a lock of Bo's hair around her finger.

"I don't understand. Bait for what?" Bo asked.

The Morrigan rolled her eyes. "Not for what...for whom."

Nadia spoke, shaking her head in disbelief, "She wants Lauren."

"What? Why!? Bo asked incredulously.

"Your Dr. Lauren has been a very naughty human," The Morrigan declared. "She decided to put her scientific little nose into Fae business - my business, to be exact - when she discovered the cure for my supposedly incurable contagion in Africa. I had to kill my whole biological weapons division for incompetence and start over."

"I asked her to help," Nadia protested. "Lauren wouldn't have gotten involved at all without me. If you want to blame anyone, blame me."

The Morrigan's smile didn't reach her eyes. "I do blame you. But the doctor signed up to be The Ash's permanent research lackey, and if she was able to cure the first virus, she might also be able to cure my new, improved one."

"New one?" Bo asked uncomfortably. "Like, new deadly kill-all-the-Fae one?"

"Not all the Fae, my dear. I'm not a monster." The Morrigan rolled her eyes dramatically. "Just the ones I don't like."

"If you want Dr. Lewis dead, then why didn't you just grab her at the hotel? Why bother with us?" Nadia questioned.

"You know I've always had a flare for the dramatic, darling. I wouldn't want to waste an opportunity to have a little fun now, would I? Dr. Lewis will come for you, and I will get to watch her suffer when I force her kill you with the virus, right before I kill her. It's all so deliciously evil, I'm actually feeling a little verklempt."

Bo's phone rang. The Dark Fae leader smiled as she answered. "Dr. Lewis..."

Bo and Nadia stretched to listen as she walked out the door to take the call in private.

"Damn it! Do you have super Lynx hearing to go with that eyesight of yours?" Bo asked, feeling completely frustrated.

"No, i'm afraid not," Nadia replied, equally disheartened.

"Aren't you supposed to be clairvoyant or something? Didn't see this coming? A little warning would have been helpful."

"Strong emotions can cloud my abilities. They haven't really worked the same since I...since Lauren...nevermind, it's not important."

* * *

**Phone Call: Lauren / The Morrigan**

* * *

"Dr. Lewis, how nice of you to check in. We've been expecting you." The Morrigan answered, smiling into the phone.

Lauren almost dropped the phone. _The Morrigan?! Nadia has been working for the Dark Fae while on The Ash's payroll? _"Who is we? I don't believe I've had the pleasure," Lauren stuttered, stalling for time to think.

"Oh, darling, I'm hurt. We have such a torrid history together too. One where you screwed me over, and I tried to kill your girlfriend. Good times."

"There must be some mistake." Lauren said weakly.

"No mistake," The Morrigan assured her. "Nadia brought you to Africa and started feeling all emotional about you and started getting all these ideas about curing viruses. So I infected her, and she had the audacity to not die."

"I'm sorry, I really have no idea what you're talking about," Lauren admitted. _The Morrigan infected Nadia? Oh, hell. Haven't I had enough surprises for one day? How can I possibly find my footing when the ground underneath me keeps shifting. _

"She didn't die because you found a cure."

Lauren inhaled sharply.

"Yes, I'm afraid I did do that," she said as politely as possible. "It was an exceptionally brilliant viral structure. Please understand I meant no disrespect."

The Morrigan chuckled. "Well, I'm sure you'll understand clearly when I say Nadia and the Succubus send their regards. Any final words you'd like to share with Dr. Lewis, ladies? No? My goodness, you are a cozy pair! Doctor, I'm sorry, they can't come to the phone right now; they're just a little tied up."

Lauren wasn't sure if she was about to pass out or throw up, but she knew she couldn't take the torture of the Morrigan's insinuations. "Bo's there, too?" _Have they hurt her?_

"Yes, of course. One. Two. Two girlfriends, Dr. Lewis. You are a busy little human. I'm sure you're missing them? Especially the Succubus."

_She's trying to break me down. I can't let her think this is emotional for me._

She took a deep breath and prepared to tell the biggest lie of her life. "Miss them? No, not really, considering that one's dead to me and the other is more of a scientific curiosity. Actually, thank you for taking Bo off my hands, she was getting a little clingy. I appreciate you being so straightforward with me about Africa. It's refreshing after dealing with The Ash." She hung up, sank to the floor, and prayed that she hadn't made a stupid mistake. She stared at her cell phone, willing it to ring.

"Please," she murmured. Lauren was on the verge of calling Bo's number and screaming hysterical apologies when the phone vibrated in her hand. She took a deep breath, wiped the tears from her cheeks, and said, in a voice so cold that it didn't even seem to be her own, "What now?"

"I see I misunderstood," The Morrigan purred. "Nadia is ancient history, and the Succubus is just a bit of fun."

Lauren laughed derisively. "They both turned out to be a waste of my time. Both of them seriously have gotten in the way of my work."

_Good. I have to keep her mind off of Bo. Keep her focused on me. Get her to tell me where they are. _

"Don't you ever stop working? All work and no play, make such a dull doctor."

"No. I haven't had anything nearly as exciting as your virus in Africa since I started working for The Ash. I thought it would be a challenge, but it's all boils and nasal congestion with the Light Fae these days," she tried to sound disgusted. "I should probably thank you."

_Stroke the dark ego. Keep her away from Bo. Maybe I should compliment her shoes…_

"Really?" The Morrigan sounded pleased.

_She's buying it._

"That infection brought me into Fae medicine," Lauren exclaimed. "I'd never seen anything so…evolved! So astoundingly intricate! It was the hardest and most rewarding thing I'd ever done in my life, figuring out its structure."

_Laying it on a little heavy? I have to make her believe I'm all about the science._

"But I don't want to bore you with all my science talk-oh, damn, I have an incoming call. What does he want now?"

"Who?"

"The Ash. If he knew I was talking to you, he'd be furious. Of course, he neglected to mention that he has been having that Lynx spy on me for him. I'm more than a little furious myself. There's simply no respect."

_Come on….take the bait…_

"A scientist as brilliant as you should be respected," The Morrigan said warmly. "And I understand the feeling. I've been furious with that creature for centuries!"

_Bingo._

"Ugh! I can't stand it anymore. I wish I'd never agreed to work for him," Lauren agreed.

"Perhaps we should have a little chat...woman to woman?" The Morrigan suggested. "I was going to kill you, but now that I think about it, you may be of better use to me alive. I think we'd make a good team."

Lauren did a little victory dance around the bed. "Really? Of course I can't make any promises, but I think I'd at least be willing to hear your proposal." _Dark Madam? Your Morriganess? O High Bitchy One?_

"Excellent. But first, I need to dispose of the Lynx and the Succubus."

_Damn it! If I act like I don't want them, she'll kill them. If I act like I care, she'll kill them. Try and change the subject?_

"If I may," Lauren said cautiously, "you may want to consider other alternatives. There are several theories I've been working on regarding using Succubus blood as a weapon. The Ash never was interested in pursuing the idea, but anyone who can create such a lethal virus, such as yourself, can surely appreciate the potential. And...well, Lynxes are extinct. Nadia may be the last one in existence. There's so much I could do with her DNA."

"Am I hearing you correctly, Dr. Lewis? Are you saying that you want to do research on your lovers?" The Morrigan sounded slightly taken aback.

_Too much? Too far? Oh, God. Bo._

Lauren held her breath until she heard the Dark Fae's laughter.

"Dr. Lewis, I can already tell we are going to get along famously. I'll send directions to your cell," The Morrigan smirked as she hung up the phone.

Lauren gulped. _Shit, what have I done? I'm in way over my head here, but Bo needs me. I have to do this. _She grabbed her jacket, and bags and ran to the car, not looking back, not wanting any time to reconsider what she was about to do.


	11. Chapter 11

Lauren sped down the highway, pushing away the thought that good things never lasted in her life. She didn't have room for negative thinking when Bo's life could be hanging in the balance. Thankfully, she didn't need to rely on her unsteady emotions to get through this. She had something she could always count on, one thing she could put her back up against when everything around her was shifting.

Science. It was her rock. She felt it was her marked advantage over the Fae.

The knot inside her stomach grew as she pulled the car up to the nondescript building. It looked like an old warehouse, abandoned and long forgotten, with portions of the facade crumbling after many years of neglect.

_Perfect. Nobody will find our bodies for months if I fail to get us out of here alive, if they even find our bodies at all. No pressure. _

Lauren gripped the steering wheel, not wanting to let go, her hands turning white from the pressure. She knew she was about to go into an uncertain situation where control was a huge question mark. She might even have to compromise herself in order to save Bo. Lauren closed her eyes and took a deep breath, working up the nerve to go inside the building. When she opened her eyes again, there were two large men in black suits approaching the car. She could only assume they were The Morrigan's henchmen.

_Pull yourself together. You can do this. You have to do this...for Bo. _

One of the bodyguards opened the car door for her. In a different situation, it would have been a chivalrous gesture, but under these circumstances it only gave her the creeps. The doctor decided she must assert herself.

"Please take me to The Morrigan. She's expecting me," she said, standing up and straightening her leather jacket. "I will need one of you to guard the car. It's worth more than a small country."

"Yes, ma'am," one of the men grunted with a nod.

"Excellent." Lauren turned to the other man and declared, "I also need the medical kit in the trunk. Bring it to me, please." The doctor popped the trunk, hoping she sounded and looked like a woman brimming with confidence. So far, the men seemed eager to respond to her orders.

"Yes, of course, Dr. Lewis." The bodyguard nodded and immediately went to fetch her kit.

Lauren's main concern was getting to Bo and making sure she was okay. Her years of medical school and experience in the field had prepared her for almost anything, but she wasn't sure how she would react if she were to find Bo injured.

_It's different when it's someone you love._

They climbed up a metal staircase, so creaky and weathered Lauren was sure it was going to collapse under their weight. The bodyguard guided her through a series of locked metal doors and down so many dark hallways she was losing her sense of direction. The air inside the building had an oppressively stale odor. The walls held several fading propaganda posters that appeared to be from sometime in the 1940s. Lauren wondered if the warehouse had once been a weapons or munitions plant during the World War II era.

They finally stopped at the end of a long corridor, and the bodyguard knocked on a heavy metal door before entering. Inside, The Morrigan, her high heels propped up on the edge, sat casually behind a solid wood desk, looking very much like something out of an old noir film.

"I must apologize, Dr. Lewis. I know these aren't the pristine surroundings you're used to working in. I can assure you, the Dark have state-of-the-art facilities every bit as impressive as the Light. Please excuse our poor presentation today. I would have had Bruce roll out the red carpet under different circumstances."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I know that things that look good on the outside are often packed with ugly lies. My bullshit tolerance is low these days, and I value a more direct approach. So, let's get right down to business, shall we?"

The Morrigan nodded in agreement.

"I want to see the Succubus," Lauren stated forcefully, "and the Lynx, too. After all the lies The Ash has fed me over the years, I'm sure you'll understand that I won't just take your word that you have them held here somewhere. He told me Nadia was dead; you're telling me she's alive. I can't work with another employer who deceives me. Once you've shown that everything you have told me is true, I will be willing to hear your terms."

The Morrigan penetrating eyes stared at her intensely, without blinking, for what felt like an eternity. Lauren maintained a cool demeanor on the outside, but on the inside she felt like her burning lungs were going to explode from holding her breath.

The Morrigan gracefully removed her heels from the desk and rose from her seat. "For a human, you certainly have a lot of moxie. I admire that in a woman. Your request sounds reasonable enough, Dr. Lewis. I had already been thinking a little reunion might be nice for old times' sake." She walked to the corner of the room where a large framed poster hung on the wall. The Dark Fae pushed on the frame and it popped open, revealing a hidden panel. The Morrigan punched in a numerical code, and the entire wall began to move, sliding open, unmasking a hidden room - and Bo.

Lauren's heart thudded so hard in her chest that she could feel its beat inside her head. She felt so relieved to finally lay her eyes on Bo, she wanted to cry. No matter how difficult it was, the doctor knew better than to unveil her true feelings to The Morrigan, so she forced herself to swallow her initial reaction. Instead she tried her best to display a stoic expression.

Bo and Nadia were seated in chairs, back to back, tied to the same post in the middle of the room. They had cloth gags tied around their mouths, but were still trying in vain to yell out to the doctor. When Bo's dark eyes met Lauren's, she felt her resolve slipping. It took all the blonde's strength not to run over to her immediately, but she felt The Morrigan examining her, quietly studying her reactions to everything. Although Bo looked extremely pissed off, she appeared to be uninjured.

Lauren didn't even want to make eye contact with Nadia, almost preferring to maintain the belief that she wasn't real. All the lies revealed to her in the last few days cut deep with the sting of betrayal. So many emotions were stirred up that knowing for certain that her former lover was alive only heightened the turmoil. Seeing her tied to Bo, Lauren felt like she was moving past the denial phase and soaring quickly into full-blown anger. She hoped she could somehow use that anger to her advantage.

"This old warehouse was a munitions plant used during World War II, built with many hidden rooms and passages. It seems the humans had many things they wanted to keep concealed in those days. The Dark began using it in the late 50s for their own purposes. There are a lot of secrets buried within these walls," The Morrigan explained, obviously taking pride in the dark history.

Sensing the doctor's disinterest, the Dark Fae added, "Enough about that. Would you like to take a moment to speak to Nadia?"

"I have nothing to say to her," Lauren responded bitterly.

"I see. And the Succubus?"

"No, I came here to hear your proposal. Besides, The Ash will be expecting me back soon, and I don't want to arouse any suspicions."

"You're all business. I like that," The corner of The Morrigan's mouth curled up into a sly smile. "Now then, I showed you a measure of good faith, I think it's your turn to show me the same in return," the Dark leader announced. Her serious expression sent a chill down the doctor's spine.

Lauren quietly wondered if she had given something away, if The Morrigan was somehow on to her. She pushed those thoughts back and plunged ahead. "Okay, that seems fair enough. What did you have in mind?"

"I know you're anxious to do research on these fine specimens in the name of science, and I'm all for that, but...I also need assurances that I can trust you. How do I know that your allegiance would be to the Dark - and more importantly - to me? I need proof."

"Proof...as in...what exactly?" Lauren was afraid of the answer, but she had to ask.

The Dark fae pulled on a pair of latex gloves from her top desk drawer. "I have a sample here of my new super virus, Dr. Lewis." The Morrigan slowly held up what looked like a stainless steel vial, admiring it as if it were as precious as a newborn baby. "It's taken years, but this virus is more advanced than the last one you created a cure for. My people tell me its effects are even more terrifyingly swift and deadly."

Lauren tried to act unimpressed. "Hmm. That's interesting, but you know, airborne viruses are really the way to go these days. The possibilities for creative delivery devices are nearly endless, from nasal sprays to air ventilation systems that work on a larger scale." Her response seemed to deflate the Morrigan's puffed up ego. Lauren added one more dig, quietly laughing inside herself. "But I'm sure it's super - your new super virus."

The Morrigan's jaw was now tighter when she spoke. "To prove you are willing to change your allegiance to the Dark, I want you to inject this virus into one of them." She waved an arm casually in the direction Bo and Nadia.

_Oh, shit._

"I don't care which one. You choose," the Dark fae added with a sly grin. "The one you don't choose to inject will get to be your own personal lab rat or whatever."

Lauren gulped. Her knees felt like they might buckle underneath her at any moment. How would she choose? She couldn't. She wouldn't! She pushed her hands inside the pockets of her leather jacket to conceal their sudden trembling. Her nervous fingers ran up against cool glass vials - the vials - of Bo's blood! Suddenly emboldened, she knew in an instant what she would do.

"I'll do it. I assume you have a syringe, since it needs to be injected?" Lauren said coolly.

A look of malicious delight replaced the steeled expression on the Morrigan's face. She actually clapped her hands in glee.

"The syringe?" Lauren asked again.

The Morrigan blinked. "Uh...yes...I think so...let me just..."

Lauren sighed deeply, feigning her irritation, "Nevermind. I have one in my medical kit, which your bodyguard kindly brought for me. Just give me the virus."

The Dark fae leader gingerly handed the vial over to Lauren, seemingly terrified of the very concoction she was so eager to release onto others.

"Which one?" The Morrigan questioned as she took several large steps away from the doctor.

"Which one, what?"

"Which girlfriend will you choose?"

Bo and Nadia were both looking at her wide-eyed, also eagerly waiting for her to answer. Lauren felt everyone's eyes on her as she took her time, rummaging through the medical kit, purposefully avoiding the question as long as she could. She slowly took out an assortment of tools - a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, flashlight, gloves, bandages - looked at each one, and then set each down.

"Which one...which one…" Lauren murmured.

"Ah ha! Here it is. Found it." She pulled a shiny metal syringe out of the bag. Then one by one, she put the other supplies back into the bag, leaving behind only two pairs of purple nitrile gloves. The Morrigan was intently watching Bo and Nadia's reactions as they anxiously tried to wriggle free from their ties with renewed vigor.

Lauren pulled on one set of gloves over the other. "I'm double-gloving just as a precaution. I assume that the virus starts an oxidation reaction with the silicate structure of traditional glass vials, which is why it has been titrated into this steel container? And therefore a stainless steel syringe is required rather than polypropylene?" Lauren asked briskly, inwardly wincing at her completely unscientific question. But, surely the Morrigan didn't know silicates from delicates.

"Yes, naturally," the Morrigan declared with a toss of her head.

"Your scientists are excellent," Lauren said with a smile. "They've made the stopper on this vial very tight as well. Please stand back, as I don't want to risk infecting you."

The Morrigan skipped ten feet away while Lauren fussed with the syringe. She then briskly walked over to the women, her eyes cold and full of dangerous intent. Lauren looked at The Morrigan - then Bo - then back at The Morrigan - then to Nadia.

"Sorry, Nadia, it has to be you, since you're already dead to me. Ironically, you've already done this once before. But no hard feelings."

Bo's muffled voice pleaded with Lauren to stop. Nadia's eyes pooled with tears as she watched Lauren, the woman she loved, inject half the deadly vial into her arm.

"Have I convinced you of my loyalty?" Lauren asked.

The Morrigan smiled.

"Good." Lauren promptly injected the other half into her own arm as Bo wailed from behind the cloth gag.


End file.
